A Clinical Study on the MPDS Patients

MPDS 환자의 임상적 양상

The author has studied on the clinical features and symptomatology of 97 MPDS patients, who visited the Dept. of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, from January to September in 1982. The results were as follow : In age and sex distribution of patients in this population, the third decades appeared to have the highest prevalence and the male to female ratio was almost 1 to 2.23. As to occupation, students and housewives were revealed to have the highest incidence of MPDS. The chief complaints of patients were pains, TMJ noises, and limitation of mouth opening in order of frequency, and the most prevalent site of symptom was that of preauricular area. In symptom sequence, the majority of initial symptoms were TMJ noise and pain but limitation of mandibular movement was progressively developed, regardless of nature of early symptoms. Chronic unfavorable oral habits were found to be the most possible predisposing factors in this study. The average maximum interincisal distance was $38.13\pm10.00mm$ in males and $30.73\pm8.75mm$ in females, and a deviation of mandible during mouth opening was observed in 60.8% of patients. In TMJ signs, tenderness of the TMJ to palpation was found in 60.8% of patients and TMJ noise was audible in 50.5% of patients with a stethoscope. The muscles of masticatory system were palpated according to usual methods, and a significant indidence of muscular tenderness was present, with the lateral pteygoid muscles being most frequently involved, followed by masseter, medical pterygoid and temporalis muscles.