Temporomandibular Joint Disk Displacements in Class II Malocclusion and Cervical Spine Alterations: Systematic Review and Report of a Hypodivergent Case with MRI Bone and Soft Tissue Changes

Abstract

(1) Background: This study aimed to perform a literature review related to disk displacement (DD) in class II malocclusion or cervical vertebrae position alterations and to report a hypodivergent case with cervical pain and right anterolateral DD with reduction, left anterolateral DD with reduction, and left joint effusion. (2) Methods: A structured electronic search was conducted between March 2022 and April 2022, without time limits, following PRISMA guidelines, in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane; the terms “disc displacement”, “disk displacement”, “temporomandibular joint”, “class II malocclusion” and “cervical vertebrae” are searched. (3) Results: the following thirteen publications are included in this review: two prospective studies and eleven cross-sectional studies; for evaluating disk position, eight included publications used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), whilst six studies used lateral cephalogram to determine craniofacial morphology and relationships between the cranial base, vertical skeletal pattern, maxilla and mandible. (4) Conclusions: although the literature still shows contradictory opinions, a relationship between temporomandibular disorders and cervical posture has been shown in the presented case as well as in the literature review.

Behavior of the mandibular length in class II non-growing patients treated with jaw functional orthopedics

“…Regarding some aspects that justify Class II treatment such as increase attractiveness [4,5] and consequently self-esteem, helping prevention or assist in the treatment of spinal column problems [6][7][8]10], TMD treatment [26], they are not analyzed in the present study.…”

“…Besides esthetic commitment there are some another significant problem that class II malocclusion brings to the individual. Almasan et al [6] reported a relationship between class II malocclusion, temporomandibular disorders and cervical posture in studies that show MRI bone and soft tissues change, although literature still shows contradictory opinions. Sandoval et al [7] described the relation between retrognathia and cervical lordosis and Zokaite et al [8] reported an increase of cervical inclination and head upright position.…”

The Impact of Benign Jawbone Tumors on the Temporomandibular Joint and Occlusion in Children: A Ten-Year Follow-Up Study

“…The presence of dental malocclusion can produce temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) [ 22 ]. TMDs commonly refer to a category of musculoskeletal conditions that affect the health of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), masticatory muscles, and other tissues [ 23 , 24 ]. TMD prevalence in pediatric patients varies significantly, with estimates ranging between 4.2% and 68%, depending on the population under investigation and the assessment method employed [ 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”

The effect of temporomandibular joint dysfunction on the craniocervical mandibular system: A retrospective study

“…Abnormalities in craniocervical alignment may contribute to the development and progression of TMJ dysfunctions. [2][3][4][5][6] A review study has shown that there may be a correlation between cranio-cervical postures, such as cranio-cervical angulation, incorrect alignment of the first (C1) and second cervical vertebrae (C2), and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. 5,6 The reciprocal relationship between head posture and jaw function involves the stomatognathic triad, including occlusion, temporomandibular joint and the neuromuscular system.…”

“…[2][3][4][5][6] A review study has shown that there may be a correlation between cranio-cervical postures, such as cranio-cervical angulation, incorrect alignment of the first (C1) and second cervical vertebrae (C2), and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. 5,6 The reciprocal relationship between head posture and jaw function involves the stomatognathic triad, including occlusion, temporomandibular joint and the neuromuscular system. 7 Skeletal pattern, head posture and TMD's connection remain controversial, although physical and functional connections between the cranial area, temporomandibular joint, cervical spine and hyoid bone have been established.…”