Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in musicians: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in musicians. Materials and methods Electronic database searches and a manual search were performed. Qualitative and quantitative analysis including risk of bias was performed for studies that met the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis of proportions with a random effects model was performed, and heterogeneity was explored according to the moderating variable through subgroup analysis and metaregression. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE tool. Results A total of 13 articles were included for the meta-analysis. Pooled prevalence estimate was 52.8% (CI 95%; 33.4%-71.7%) for wind instruments, 53.9% (CI 95%; 42.4%-65.2%) for string instruments and 53.9% (CI 95%; 23.5%-82.7%) for string and wind instruments. The average time of use of the musical instrument explained 82.38%, the heterogeneity between the sizes of the effects observed in the analysis (R-2 = 82.38%; P < .0001). For prevalence of TMD, the GRADE criteria were considered very low. Conclusion The overall combined prevalence of TMD in musicians was approximately 53.9%, and musicians who use their instruments daily and for a long period of time may have a higher prevalence of TMD. Clinical significance Due to the high prevalence of TMD in musicians, health professionals must be careful not to underestimate signs and symptoms and correctly diagnose these cases.