Correlation Between the State of the Temporomandibular Joint and Gynecological Status in Women of Reproductive Age

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The processes of synthesis and degradation of connective tissue are closely related to hormonal fluctuations occurring in the female body at various stages of development. Based on this, it can be assumed that the state of the cartilage and bone tissue of the components of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) depends on the physiological state of the female body. The objective of this study is to establish correlations between the anamnestic data of gynecological health and the presence of pathologies of the temporomandibular joint in women of reproductive age. Methods For the study, 49 female patients of reproductive age with temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) were selected. Among the gynecological health history data, we selected the following parameters: hysterectomy, breast cancer, oophorectomy, number of deliveries, number of abortions, number of miscarriages, presence of thyroid gland cyst, presence of ovarian cyst, use of hormonal contraceptives, elevated prolactin level in the blood, hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis in the anamnesis, mastopathy, rheumatoid arthritis, and uterine fibromatosis. TMJ pathologies were differentiated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The presence of correlation coefficients was checked using the Real Statistics 2019 extension for Microsoft Office Excel by calculating Kendall's tau (τ). Correlation ratios were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. Results Statistically significant correlations between pathologies of the temporomandibular joint and anamnestic data of gynecological status are observed only in relation to childbirth, abortions, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids and pathologies of the thyroid gland, including hypothyroidism, and autoimmune thyroiditis. Conclusions The presence of the aforementioned pathologies in the anamnesis of a woman of reproductive age can serve as a basis for a detailed study of these processes and their impact on the condition of the temporomandibular joint.