Outcome Measurements in Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: A Systematic Review
K Yesoda Aniyan, Anuradha Ganesan, Krithika Chandrasehar LakshmiBackground:
In the orofacial region, TMD prevails as the primary cause of pain. The standard TMD evaluation pre, during, and post-treatment is the outcome measure, i.e. assessment of pain and clinical features.
Objective:
This aim was to synthesize, consolidate, and review the outcome measurements used across the RCTs and the consistency of these outcome measurements within and across the studies.
Methods:
This study followed the PRISMA checklist in the databases: PubMed MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using MeSH terms as per PICO. The eligibility criteria were followed for article selection. The articles were assessed for risk of bias. The COSMIN checklist ascertained the methodological quality.
Results:
Nine studies were selected after a detailed evaluation. Owing to the heterogeneity in the outcome assessment methods, a meta-analysis was not carried out.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this review appraised the assessment evaluators to be diverse, highlighting only a particular aetiology of TMD. Thus, asserting the inconsistency and consensus lacking across clinical trials. This systematic review concluded that an accurate comparison was challenging as the outcome assessment tools across the reported RCTs did not align with the main domains of the PROMIS checklist.