Introduction:

Temporomandibular disorders are a set of painful and/or dysfunctional conditions of the chewing muscles and/or in the temporomandibular joint. They involve complex and varied symptoms and signs that negatively influence the quality of life. The scientific evidence is ambiguous regarding relating body posture with the presence or absence of the involved alterations. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between the posture of the shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle, and ocular convergence with temporomandibular disorders.

Materials and methods:

An observational, correlational, prospective, cross-sectional investigation was conducted. The population consisted of 146 patients aged 18 to 47 years who attended the dental service of the Hospital Honorio Delgado Espinoza and met the eligibility criteria. The Helkimo index modified by Maglione was used for the evaluation of temporomandibular disorders. The posture of the shoulder girdle, pelvis, and ocular convergence were evaluated using the clinical evaluation protocol of Dr. Dupas of the University of Lille-France.

Results:

There was a total of 91.1% presented temporomandibular disorders. These included 86.3% with mild dysfunction and 4.8% with moderate dysfunction. There was a female predominance (67.8%). The outstanding clinical manifestations were mandibular deviation, joint noises, and moderate mandibular movement limitation. The relationship between pelvic girdle and shoulder girdle nonalignment with temporomandibular disorders was highly significant. No relationship was found with ocular convergence.

Conclusions:

A highly significant statistical relationship was found between the temporomandibular disorders and the altered postures of the shoulder girdle and pelvis. No relationship was found with ocular hypoconvergence.

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