Prospective Evaluation of Temporomandibular Joint Pathologies in Scoliosis Patients With Ultrasonography and Clinical Examination
Prospective Evaluation of Temporomandibular Joint Pathologies in Scoliosis Patients With Ultrasonography and Clinical Examination
From the anatomical and functional point of view, stomatognathic system and spine have close
 connections. Together with the complex neuromuscular relationships, this creates an important
 area of cooperation between dentists and orthopedics (1). The cause of scoliosis has not been
 precisely explained, and various causes have been suggested in the literature, such as
 deviation from the standard growth pattern, neuromuscular tissue changes, asymmetric growth
 of the trunk, changes in the sagittal configuration of the spine, and environmental factors.
 In addition, scoliosis may develop secondary to each of hereditary musculoskeletal disorders
 such as osteogenesis imperfecta, Marfan syndrome, Stickler syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
 and muscular dystrophies.

 Fonder et al. conducted case studies showing the relationship between dental occlusion and
 scoliosis (2). There are studies suggesting that temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases are
 observed more frequently with the effect of the head-neck muscle balance affected by
 scoliosis and the irregularities in the occlusion. At the same time, some studies have shown
 that patients with mandible changes (deviation, deflection, asymmetry…), which is one of the
 TMJ components, often have abnormal morphology in the cervical vertebrae (3). Ito G et al.
 They reported that body posture is closely related to the function of the head support
 system. The cervical spine and muscles play an important role in stabilizing the head posture
 and in the complex and various movements of the head (4).

 There is no study in the literature comparing the severity of scoliosis and TMJ joint
 dysfunction radiologically and clinically.

 In this study, TMJ of scoliosis patients was evaluated by ultrasonography and clinical
 examination; It was aimed to correlate the severity of scoliosis with joint dysfunction.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Being between the ages of 12-18

 -  Being diagnosed with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Being diagnosed with neuromuscular, juvenile or congenital scoliosis

 -  Having received surgical treatment for scoliosis

 -  Rheumatological disease

 -  Having received treatment for TMJ dysfunction