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The following is a summary of “Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorder Symptoms After Whiplash Trauma—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” published in the February 2025 issue of European Journal of Pain by Häggman-Henrikson et al. 

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) referred to pain and dysfunction of the jaw muscles and temporomandibular joint, with whiplash trauma suggested as a risk factor.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to specify the prevalence and relative risk of TMDs in the acute and chronic stages following whiplash trauma.  

They followed PRISMA guidelines and searched the literature in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science on 10 March 2023, updating it on 29 April 2024, to identify studies on TMD prevalence after whiplash trauma. The risk of bias was evaluated by the Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to evaluate TMD pain prevalence.  

The results showed that after screening 671 studies, 96 full-text articles were assessed and 14 studies, including 840 acute cases and 8,293 chronic cases (>3 months post-trauma), along with 1,591 controls, were analyzed qualitatively while, 9 studies with 449 acute cases, 7,912 chronic cases, and 515 controls were included in the meta-analysis. The mean prevalence of TMD pain was 18.9% (95% CI 9.71–29.98) in acute cases, 26.8% (95% CI 15.07–38.79) in chronic cases, and 5.7% (95% CI 3.08–8.96) in controls.  

Investigators concluded that the higher prevalence of TMD pain in the early stages following whiplash injury highlighted the need for early comprehensive clinical assessment and targeted research into the underlying mechanisms. 

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejp.4792