Prevalence of arthrogenic temporomandibular disorders in the elderly

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genderrelated prevalence of TMD in elderly subjects. Within the interdisciplinary longitudinal study "ILSE," a subsample of 102 male and 96 female subjects (born 1930-32) were examined. An assessment of temporomandibular disorders based exclusively on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD), without imaging, was added to the dental record of every subject. Four calibrated examiners performed the examination. Disc displacement without reduction was observed in 8.8% of the men and 12.5% of the women. Osteoarthrosis was observed in 4.9% of the men and 8.3% of the women. Osteoarthritis, arthralgia, and disc displacement with reduction could not be detected in the clinical examination. Although slightly more women had disc displacement without reduction or osteoarthrosis, no statistically significant differences between the genders could be detected (P = 0.246 and P = 0.271, respectively). The prevalence of joint-related TMD in this age group was low compared with results from studies performed using the Helkimo index. Parole chiave: TMD, osteoarthrosis, disc displacement, arthralgia, gender