Correlation analysis of craniomandibular index and gothic arch tracing in patients with craniomandibular disorders.

BACKGROUND/AIM Complex etiology and symptomatology of craniomandibular dysfunction make the diagnosing and therapy of this disorder more difficult. The aim of this work was to assess the value of clinical and instrumental functional analyses in diagnosing of this type of disorders. METHODS In this study 200 subjects were examined, 15 with temporomandibular joint disorder. They were subjected to clinical functional analysis (Fricton-Shiffman) and instrumental functional analysis by using the method of gothic arch. The parameters of the gothic arch records were analyzed and subsequently compared among the subjects of the observed groups. RESULTS In the examined group of the population 7.5% of them were with craniomandibular dysfunction. The most frequent symptoms were sound in temporomandibular joint, painful sensitivity of the muscles on palpation and lateral turning of the lower jaw while opening the mouth. By analyzing the gothic arch records and comparing the obtained values between the observed groups it was assessed that: lateral and protrusion movements, lateral amplitude and the size of gothic arch were much bigger in the healthy subjects, and latero-lateral asymmetry was larger in the sick subjects. Latero-lateral dislocation of apex was recorded only in the sick subjects with average values of 0.22 +/- 0.130 mm. The correlation between the values of Fricton-Shiffman craniomandibular index and the parameters of the gothic arch records and latero-lateral amplitude and dislocation of apex records were established by correlative statistical analysis. CONCLUSION Functional analysis of orofacial system and instrumental analysis of lower jaw movements (gothic arch method) can be recommended as precise and simple methods in diagnosing craniomandibular dysfunctions.