A study on the influence of a centric splint on changes in posture in the region of the (cervical) spine with the sonoSens® Monitor in patients with craniomandibular dysfunction

Several studies on the association carried out on changes in posture and craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) have demonstrated different results. The aim of this study was to test the effects of stabilization splints in centric relation on the posture of walking CMD patients and controls. The posture of 20 CMD patients and 19 healthy subjects was evaluated with the sonoSens® Monitor before (U1), immediately after (U2), and 1 week after (U3) the insertion of a stabilization splint with centric relation. The sonoSens® Monitor is a diagnostic system for the dynamic monitoring of posture. The technology consists of a device measuring the delay of ultrasound impulses, using four pairs of small sensors that are placed at specific sites on the neck and the back. During each measurement the sensors continuously record changes in distance between each pair of sensors, while the subjects are walking straight ahead for 7 minutes. The range of flexion and torsion of the body while walking was recorded for the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. At each appointment a clinical functional examination was performed. All measured parameters were tested for group differences with a non-parametric test. There were no significant differences between the groups at U1, U2 and U3 for the regularity indices or for the sagittal and frontal range of motion and of torsion. There were also no statistically significant differences of these parameters within the groups between U1, U2 and U3. Pain and the impairment in quality of life were reduced significantly for the test group between U1 and U3 (P 0.03), whereas no changes were recorded for the control group. The results of this study indicate that oral appliance therapy has no significant influence on the posture of CMD patients and controls measured while they walked. However, further studies are necessary to verify these results. Keywords: centric splint, craniomandibular dysfunction, gait analysis, posture