Temporomandibular Joint Hypermobility Examination through Differentiation of Sounds

Abstract

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), being an almost well-known anatomical structure but its diagnosis may become difficult due to sounds accompanying joint movement. One example is temporomandibular joint hypermobility (TMJH), which still requires comprehensive study. TMJH is a rare disorder; however, its prevalence at the level of around 4% is still significant. We propose a diagnostic method of TMJH based on the digital time-frequency analysis of sounds generated by TMJ. The volunteers were diagnosed using the RDC/TMD questionnaire and auscultated with the Littmann 3200 electronic stethoscopes on both sides of the head simultaneously. Recorded TMJ sounds were transferred to the computer via Bluetooth® for numerical analysis. The research reveals characteristic time-frequency features in acoustic signals which can be used to detect TMJH. This can help differentiate other disc displacements from joint hypermobility.