• Alexander J Hassel, Peter Rammelsberg, and Marc Schmitter.
• Poliklinik für Zahnärztliche Prothetik, Heidelberg, Germany. alexander.hassel@med.uni-heidelberg.de
• Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2006 Feb 1;34(1):41-6.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the age of the subject on inter-examiner reliability of the clinical signs of temporomandibular disorder (TMD).MethodsForty-three elderly (ES) and 44 younger adults (YS) were selected. The female/male distribution was almost the same in the two groups. All participants underwent clinical examination according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD, performed successively by two clinicians.ResultsFor metric measurements - with the exception of unassisted opening - the ES gave a significantly lower range of motion with both examiners and significantly worse percentage agreement between the examiners. A remarkable inter-examiner disagreement in the elderly was found with laterotrusion and protrusion movements. The prevalence of joint sounds was rated inconsistently by the examiners. The reliability of detection was not different in the two groups. The prevalence of tender muscle sites was also inconsistent. The overall percentage agreement for subjects with at least one tender muscle point was not age dependent. Because of the very low prevalence in ES, further statistical assessment of reliability is not possible.ConclusionsThe age-dependent lower range of motion and the inferior reliability of metric measurements in the elderly could lead to wrong diagnoses. The reliability of detecting joint sounds and tender muscles was not age dependent within the limitations of the study.

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