Per Alstergren

• Professor
• Head of Faculty at Malmö University

Objectives: This paper studies the treatment effect of total joint replacement (TJR) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with alloplastic joint prosthesis regarding function, symptoms and health-related quality of life compared to other surgical and non-surgical treatments in patients with TMJ disorders. Methods: Three databases (PubMed, Cochrane...

Background The Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) is a biaxial tool for TMD assessment. To implement a translated version in the Brazilian context, standardised adaptation and validation are necessary. Objective (s) To translate, adapt and verify the measurement properties of the DC/TMD Axis II instruments Pain Drawing (P...

Background Few neuroimaging studies have investigated structural brain differences associated with variations in pain distribution. Objective To explore structural differences of the brain in fibromyalgia (FM), temporomandibular disorder pain (TMD) and healthy pain‐free controls (CON) using structural and diffusion MRI. Methods A case–control exp...

Background Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) often affects the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) caused by an abnormal immune system that includes overactive inflammatory processes. Salivary biomarkers may be a powerful tool that can help establishing diagnosis, prognosis and monitor disease progress. Objective The objective was to investigate bioma...

Background Stress in patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) has been found to be associated with orofacial pain, psychological distress, jaw dysfunction and loss of daily activities in a cross-sectional study. The aim of this study was to investigate the relations between stress and change of stress over time versus changes in orofacial...

Background Despite advances in temporomandibular disorders' (TMDs) diagnosis, the diagnostic process continues to be problematic in non‐specialist settings. Objective To complete a Delphi process to shorten the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) to a brief DC/TMD (bDC/TMD) for expedient clinical diagnosis and initial management. Methods An inte...

Background Despite advances in Temporomandibular disorders’ (TMDs) diagnosis, the diagnostic process continues to be problematic in non-specialist settings. Objective To complete a Delphi process to shorten the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) to a brief DC/TMD (bDC/TMD) for the diagnoses with the most utility in general dentistry settings. M...

Objectives: We aimed to map the correlation between thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) and Gafchromic film for measuring absorbed doses and to compare minimum, maximum, and mean absorbed doses over larger regions of interest and at various craniofacial organs and tissues during cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) exposure of the mandibular third...

Background: The Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) for use in adults is in use worldwide. Until now, no version of this instrument for use in adolescents has been proposed. Objective: To present comprehensive and short-form adaptations of the adult version of DC/TMD that are appropriate for use with adolescents in clini...

Objective: Optimization of radiographic examinations is essential for radiation protection. The objective of the study was to investigate the clinical applicability of a low-dose CBCT protocol as compared to the default for pre-surgical evaluation of mandibular third molars. Material & methods: Forty-eight patients (62 teeth) referred for pre-su...

Involvement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is common in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). TMJ arthritis can lead to orofacial symptoms, orofacial dysfunction, and dentofacial deformity with negative impact on quality of life. Management involves interdisciplinary collaboration. No current recommendations exist to guide clinical management....

Background: The Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) are used worldwide in adults. Until now, no adaptation for use in children has been proposed. Objective: To present comprehensive and short-form adaptations of Axis I and II of the DC/TMD for adults that are appropriate for use with children in clinical and research set...

Background: Synovial tissue is known to be the origin of inflammation in joint disease. Despite this, synovial fluid is the main biological specimen of choice in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation and pathology biomarker research. No comparison of TMJ protein content between synovial fluid and synovial tissue has been made. Objectives: T...

Objectives To query the experience of oral surgeons concerning referral routines and preferences for radiographic imaging modality before surgical removal of mandibular third molars and investigate factors that influence imaging modality preferences. Materials and methods Members of the Swedish Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ( n =...

Background Unlike the psychosocial assessment established for adults in the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD), a standardized psychosocial assessment for children and adolescents with TMD complaints has not yet been established. Objectives To develop a new standardized instrument set to assess the psychosocial functionin...

Objectives To evaluate the effect of corticosteroid injections in the painful temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to systemic inflammatory activity. Method Examination of 35 patients (median age 54 years; 89% female) included maximum mouth opening capacity, degree of anterior open bite (AOB), TMJ pa...

Aim To develop new instruments and to adapt the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD) for the evaluation of TMD in children and adolescents. Method A modified Delphi method was used to seek international consensus among TMD experts. Fourteen clinicians and researchers in the field of orofacial pain and TMD worldwide were inv...

Objectives The aim was to evaluate the characteristics of the mandibular third molars, especially in relation to the inferior alveolar nerve. Further aims were to investigate incidental findings in panoramic radiographs in an adult population, and to investigate image quality related to patient positioning. Materials and Methods From a previous stu...

Aims: To investigate inflammatory mediator levels in TMJ synovial fluid (SF) and blood and to investigate clinical TMJ symptoms in relation to general and TMJ symptom duration in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Examination of 80 TMJs (68 patients; median age 55 years; 85% women) included the following variables: TMJ pain at res...

Background Chronic pain from temporomandibular disorders remains an undertreated condition with debate regarding the most effective treatment modalities. Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the treatment effect of an internet-based multimodal pain program on chronic temporomandibular disorder pain and evaluate the feasibility of a la...

Objectives To develop and evaluate an educational web‐based program for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) assessment using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods A web‐based educational program was designed for TMJ assessment using CBCT images. Fifteen CBCT cases of the TMJ (three‐dimensional reconstructed volumes) and an assessment module base...

BACKGROUND Chronic pain from temporomandibular disorders (TMD) remains an undertreated condition with controversies regarding the most effective treatment modalities. National guidelines in Sweden recommend multimodal treatment with a behavioral approach, and internet-based intervention is an appealing treatment modality as it enables more patients...

Background Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an autoimmune, chronic, inflammatory joint disease, affecting children and adolescents. Patients with JIA may have pain and fatigue in muscles. There are not studies evaluating the pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) of both masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in patients with JIA. Ob...

The aims of this proof-of-concept study were to develop a collecting method for unstimulated parotid saliva in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients and healthy children and to investigate if inflammatory biomarkers could be detected in these samples. Forty-five children with JIA (median age of 12 years and 25th–75th percentile of 10–15 year...

Objective Evaluation of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) examination with a low-dose scanning protocol for assessment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Methods 34 adult patients referred for CBCT imaging of the TMJ underwent two examinations with two scanning protocols, a manufacturer-recommended protocol (default) and a low-dose protocol...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to map and compare the distributions of absorbed doses with Gafchromic film for panoramic radiography and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) examinations of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) by using adult and child phantoms. Study design: Gafchromic films were placed at 5 selected levels of anthropomorphi...

Objective Pain in the orofacial region may originate from different structures, and one challenge for the clinician is to determine the primary origin of pain reported by the patient. In clinical practice, it is important to discriminate between a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain disorder and jaw muscle pain; therefore, tests that are proposed fo...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate relations between psychosocial factors, signs and symptoms of orofacial pain and jaw dysfunction in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods: Forty-five patients with JIA (median age 12 years) and 16 healthy matched controls (median age 13 years) were examined according to th...

Background Diagnostic Criteria reported in the expanded taxonomy for Temporomandibular Disorders include a standardised clinical examination and diagnosis (DC/TMD 3.B) of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) damage in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), however their validity is unknown. Objectives to assess the validity of DC/TMD 3.B for...

Objective To propose multidisciplinary, consensus-based, standardization of operational terminology and method of assessment for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods Using a sequential expert group–defined terminology and methods-of-assessment approach by (1) establishment of task force, (2) ite...

The cover image, by C. Österlund et al., is based on the Original Article Diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders: Diagnostic accuracy for general dentistry procedure without mandatory commands regarding myalgia, arthralgia and headache attributed to temporomandibular disorder, DOI: 10.1111/joor.12643. Photo credit: Per Alstergren.

Background The clinical examination in Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) is a strict procedure and comprise mandatory commands. However, learning and using these mandatory commands in general practice have proven to be difficult and their use of DC/TMD is minimal. Objectives To investigate if reliability on a diagnostic...

Background and aims Chronic pain including temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain involves a complex interplay between peripheral and central sensitization, endogenous modulatory pathways, cortical processing and integration and numerous psychological, behavioral and social factors. The aim of this study was to compare spectroscopic patterns of N-Ac...

Background: Evidence-based clinical diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis are not available. Objective: To establish (i) criteria for clinical diagnosis of TMJ arthritis and (ii) clinical variables useful to determine inflammatory activity in TMJ arthritis using synovial fluid levels of inflammatory mediators as the ref...

Objectives: Osseous changes in temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) are common indications for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The number of such cases is increasing while number of qualified oral radiologists is limited. The present study investigated usefulness of a training program for general dental practitioners (GDPs) regarding temp...

Objective: To investigate to which degree acetylcholine (ACh) can modulate Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced production of interleukin (IL)-6 and/or other cytokines in primary human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Design: Primary human FLS from a patient with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were cultivated and used in experiments where TNF and ACh...

This health technology assessment evaluated the efficacy of pharmacological treatment in patients with orofacial pain. Randomised controlled trials were included if they reported pharmacological treatment in patients ≥18 years with chronic (≥3 months) orofacial pain. Patients were divided into subgroups: TMD-muscle [Temporomandibular disorders (TMD...

Background: Recently, updated Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) were published to assess TMD in a standardized way in clinical and research settings. The DC/TMD protocol has been translated into Finnish using specific cultural equivalency procedures. Objective: To assess the inter-examiner reliability using the Finnish...

This chapter covers immunological markers for inflammatory types of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. The specific biological relevance or clinical value of biomarkers in TMJ pain is, however, so far insufficiently investigated. There are studies that indicate candidate biomarkers for diagnostic or prognostic purposes in diseases like rheumatoid...

Objective: To develop international consensus-based recommendations for the orofacial examination of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), for use in clinical practice and research. Methods: Using a sequential phased approach, a multidisciplinary task force developed and evaluated a set of recommendations for the orofacial examinati...

To investigate the difference in diagnostic reliability between self-instructed examiners and examiners taught in a Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) course and if the reliability of self-instructed examiners improves after the course. Six examiners were divided into three groups: (1) formal two-day training and calibrati...

Oro-facial pain (OFP) and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children and adolescents are a growing problem. To meet patients' healthcare needs, professionals must perform their work intuitively and with quality. Therefore, a high degree of professional knowledge is necessary. To investigate the professional knowledge regarding OFP/TMD in childre...

The specific clinical value or relevance of biological markers in orofacial pain conditions is unclear and has been insufficiently investigated. Yet, in addition to the references noted in the previous two chapters, numerous studies are available that indicate highly interesting candidate biomarkers, both molecular and others, for diagnostic or pro...

The aim was to investigate how endogenous cytokine control of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) influences temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in relation to the role of anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Twenty-six consecutive patients with TMJ RA were included. Temporomandibular joint pain intensity...

Objective: To estimate the degree of self-assessed knowledge among dentists in Sweden and Saudi Arabia regarding temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children and adolescents using a summative form of assessment and further to investigate the possible factors that may influence the self-assessed knowledge. Materials and methods: A questionnaire...

Objective: To investigate if TNF, IL-1 or their endogenous controls, in relation to ACPA, are associated with radiological signs of ongoing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) bone tissue resorption and disc displacement in RA patients. Methods: Twenty-two consecutive outpatients with TMJ of RA were included. Systemic inflammatory activity was assesse...

Objective: Analyses of temporomandibular joint synovial fluid using the hydroxocobalamin push-pull technique are increasingly used. However, objective complications and subjective experiences from this procedure have not been described. Firstly, this study aimed to describe discomfort and potential side-effects of this method with special emphasis...

Objective: Orofacial pain (OFP) and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children/adolescents are common and impairing their daily activities and quality of life. In Sweden OFP/TMD is taught as a separate subject in the undergraduate curriculum for dental students. However, in Saudi Arabia OFP/TMD the teaching is only incorporated with other dental...

Objective: To evaluate the self-assessment of dentists’ own knowledge in Saudi Arabia and Sweden and if the outcome of the self-assessment reflects the amount and methods of education used in each country, regarding temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children and adolescents. Method: A questionnaire survey covering four domains regarding orofac...

Objective: To determine clinical variables with the highest sensitivity and specificity to diagnose temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis using true TMJ synovial fluid concentrations of serotonin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) as reference standard for intra-articular inflammation. Methods: One hundred ninety-six...

Analysis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovial fluid may elucidate the aetiology of temporomandibular disorders and arthritic conditions, as well as the inflammatory mechanisms involved. Knowledge about healthy synovial fluid is necessary to understand TMJ pathologies. We aimed to quantify the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2...

There is a need to expand the current temporomandibular disorders' (TMDs) classification to include less common but clinically important disorders. The immediate aim was to develop a consensus-based classification system and associated diagnostic criteria that have clinical and research utility for less common TMDs. The long-term aim was to establi...

Objectives: To investigate the predictive value of inflammatory mediators and markers for the development of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) radiographic changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: The TMJs of thirteen patients (eleven females and two males) with a median age of 46 years were investigated by computed tomography...

Objectives: The recently described anti-inflammatory cholinergic pathway systemically reduces leukocyte activity via acetylcholine (Ach) release from the vagus nerve. Whether there is also a local effect of ACh on synoviocytes is unclear, for example in tempromandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis in diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim was...

To investigate the impact of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain on daily activities and quality of life in relation to systemic inflammatory activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), thirty-three consecutive outpatients with RA were included. TMJ pain intensity at rest, on maximum mouth opening, and on chewing was assessed on a 0–10 nume...

To determine if glutamate injected into the healthy temporomandibular joint (TMJ) evokes pain through peripheral N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and if such pain is influenced by sex or sex steroid hormones. Sixteen healthy men and 36 healthy women were included and subjected to two randomized and double-blind intra-articular injections of th...

The aim was to investigate whether bone tissue resorption in early RA is related to crepitus of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and systemic levels of inflammatory mediators and markers and sex steroid hormones. Twentynine women and 18 men with recently diagnosed RA were examined for TMJ bone erosions with computerized tomography and TMJ crepitu...

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between plasma level of glutamate and extent of radiographic bone erosion of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to inflammatory disease activity as well as estradiol and testosterone. A total of 47 patients (29 women and 18 men) of whom...

Introduction to cytokinesPeripheral cytokine modulation of painThe cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathwayEicosanoidsTNFIL-1IL-6ProstaglandinsEvidence for the role of these mediators and their receptors cutaneous and deep tissue-mediated painSpecific antagonists that target these receptorsCurrent or potential treatment of painReferences

This case report presents the clinical and radiographic course of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement in a patient with severe TMJ symptoms from psoriatic arthritis (PsA) resistant to both systemic infliximab and intra-articular glucocorticoid and who therefore received multiple intra-articular infliximab injections for 36 weeks. TMJ symptoms...

Twenty-two patients (29 joints) with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis of specific or unspecific nature were given one intra-articular glucocorticoid (GC) injection. The effect on subjective symptoms and clinical signs in the craniomandibular system and on joint aspirate concentration of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) was evalu...

To investigate the relative importance of systemic and local inflammatory mediators (serotonin: 5-HT; tumor necrosis factor: TNF; soluble interleukin-1 receptor II: IL-1sRII) in the modulation of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pressure pain threshold in patients with seropositive or seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to investigate to what e...

To investigate whether pain and tissue destruction in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are influenced by plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) or the soluble receptor TNFsRII. Fifty-one patients with RA were included. TMJ resting pain intensity, pain intensi...

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of plasma and synovial fluid tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, soluble TNF receptor II (TNF-sRII), IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), soluble IL-1 receptor II (IL-1sRII) and IL-10 on the effect of the TNFalpha antibody infliximab on temporomandibular j...

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovial fluid and blood on the treatment effect on TMJ pain by intra-articular injection of glucocorticoid in patients with chronic inflammatory TMJ disorders. High pretreatment level of TNF-alpha in the synovial fluid...

The aims of this study were to investigate the influence of serotonin (5-HT) on the effects of intra-articular injections of glucocorticoid on pain of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in patients with inflammatory disorders of the TMJ. The pretreatment synovial fluid 5-HT was negatively, and plasma 5-HT positively, correlated to change in TMJ pain...

The aims were to investigate the effect of intravenous infusions of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) antibody infliximab on symptoms and signs of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement in relation to effects on synovial fluid and plasma proinflammatory TNF-alpha, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 as well as antiinflam mat...

The importance of CD44 in murine neutrophil chemotaxis was studied in a Zigmond chamber. WT neutrophils polarized more rapidly and more extensively than CD44-/- neutrophils, which showed slow random migration and reduced activation of RhoA. CD44+/- neutrophils polarized more slowly, formed fewer directionally polarized cells, and migrated more slow...

THE influence of circulating serotonin (5-HT) on the effects of intra-articular administration of granisetron on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain was investigated in 11 patients with chronic polyarthritides. An analgesic effect superior to placebo has been shown previously. The change in TMJ movement pain intensity was negatively correlated to ci...

The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinal radiographic changes in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with clinical involvement of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its relation to the blood level of inflammatory mediators and markers. Sixteen patients were investigated by computed tomography on two occasions 25-46 months apart. The radiograp...

Microdialysis of neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been reported to be difficult, which partly may be due to the adhesive nature of the molecule. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal probe and perfusion medium for microdialysis of NPY and to investigate if microdialysis can be used to sample NPY from human muscle tissue. Three different probe...

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain on daily living in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involving the TMJ. Nineteen patients (17 F, 2 M) with a median (IQR) age of 44 (23) years were included. A scale for the influence of TMJ pain/discomfort on the activities of daily living was used. TMJ...

The aim of this study was to investigate whether interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), or soluble IL-1 receptor II (sIL-1RII) in synovial fluid or plasma is associated with joint pain or signs of tissue destruction in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement of polyarthritides. Forty-three patients...

One possible cause of the reported positive treatment effect by low-power laser exposure in muscle pain conditions could be that it increases the local microcirculation. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the immediate effects on masseter muscle blood flow by low-power laser exposure in patients with chronic orofacial pain of muscul...

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between the inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and serotonin (5-HT), the inflammatory markers erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as rheumatoid factor (RF) and thrombocyte particle concentration (TPC) in blood versus temporomandib...

To investigate a recently developed pain-intensity matching device (Painmatcher) in terms of reproducibility, pain intensity, and unpleasantness experienced by healthy individuals upon pain threshold assessment, as well as differences in pain threshold between genders and between healthy individuals and patients with acute oral pain, and the relati...

To determine the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pressure pain threshold (PPT) in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and TMJ involvement in comparison with healthy females, in order to determine its clinical usefulness for local pain assessment. Forty-two female patients with the diagnosis of RA, 17 of them positive and 25 negative for rh...

To investigate whether blood serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) (5-HT) modulates musculoskeletal pain differently in seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement of seropositive RA (33 patients) or seronegative RA (28 patients) and 26 healthy individuals were included. TMJ pain, gener...

Our aim was to determine whether masseter muscle (M) and plasma (P) levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) or leukotriene B4 (LTB4) are influenced by local glucocorticoid administration and whether such changes would be associated with corresponding changes in local pain or hyperalgesia. Eighteen patients with fibromyalgia and 15 with local masseter mya...

In temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis, there is limited knowledge of the relationship between interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), as well as the source of these cytokines. We investigated the development of an antigen-induced arthritis in the rabbit TMJ immunohistochemically. Unilateral TMJ arthritis wa...

The pathophysiology behind chronic pain from masticatory muscles is unclear. Our hypothesis was that this pain is of inflammatory origin and associated with release of inflammatory mediators. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the presence of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in the masseter muscle and plasma and the...

To investigate the progression of radiographic changes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with reference to plasma levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), C-reactive protein (CRP) and disease duration. Twenty-one patients with chronic inflammatory joint disease and TMJ involvement were included. Individualized tomography of the TMJ was performed...

The aim was to investigate joint perfusate levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in antigen-induced monoarthritis of the rabbit temporomandibular (TMJ) and knee joints. Twenty-four adult male New Zealand White rabbits were divided into three groups: a control group as well as TMJ arthritis and knee joint arthritis groups. After sensitization, unil...

The aim of this study was to investigate if the 5-HT3 antagonist granisetron reduces temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in patients with systemic inflammatory joint disorders. Sixteen patients with systemic inflammatory joint disease with pain localized over the TMJ region and tenderness to digital palpation of the TMJ were included. The current re...

As the article in the current issue by Shinoda and colleagues shows, during the last two decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the understanding of basic biology behind chronic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, inflammation and destruction. The involvement and contribution of cytokines to TMJ pain and inflammation must now be considered...