Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in fibromyalgia and failed back syndrome patients: A blinded prospective comparison study

Objectives. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and evaluate psychosocial domains in patients with fibromyalgia ( FM) compared with patients with failed back syndrome (FBS). Study design. The study included 51 (32 FM and 19 FBS) adult patients who were administered orofacial pain and psychological questionnaires before a clinical examination. Presence of TMD was diagnosed according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. Results. Fifty-three percent of the FM patients reported having face pain compared with 11% of the FBS patients. Of those FM patients who reported face pain, 71% fulfilled the criteria for a diagnosable TMD. FM patients had significantly higher subscale scores for somatization, obsessive-compulsive, medication used for sleep, and fatigue compared with FBS patients. Eighty-seven percent of the FM patients reported a stressful event and 42.3% had symptoms indicating posttraumatic stress disorder. Conclusion. The high prevalence of TMD and psychosocial dysfunction among FM patients suggests wide-reaching dysregulation of autonomic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functions.