Long-term evaluations of temporomandibular disorders in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery compared with a control group

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate alterations in signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery compared with a healthy group. Study design. Signs and symptoms of TMD in orthognathic surgery patients were evaluated before surgery, 1 week after removal of intermaxillary fixation, and 1 and 2 years after surgery by means of Helkimo's Anamnestic and Dysfunction Indexes. At initial and final examinations, signs and symptoms of TMD of orthognathic surgery patients were compared also with those of healthy patients. The lengths of condylar pathways during opening, medial, and protrusive movements in orthognathic surgery patients were evaluated with axiography. Results. A statistically significant reduction was noted for the TMD symptoms and signs 2 years after surgery compared with before surgery. At initial examination, orthognathic surgery patients did riot report TMD signs and symptoms significantly more often than healthy subjects. At final examination, improvements in TMD symptoms of orthognathic surgery patients were found when compared with healthy subjects. Conclusions. The results of this study suggested that functional status of temporomandibular joint can be improved with orthognathic surgery, but no association could be clearly shown between TMD symptoms and the type of dentofacial deformity.