Evaluation of different electromyographic parameters of temporomandibular dysfunction in athletes

Objective: Investigate the accuracy and differential diagnosis ability of surface electromyography in athletes. Methods: Thirty basketball players underwent gnathological examination and divided in 3 groups: healthy, and with articular or muscular temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Electromyography was performed with Teethan®, assessing electrical activity of anterior temporalis and masseters during maximum voluntary contraction, and the correlations between electromyographic parameters: percent overlap coefficient, barycenter, torsion, musclework, asymmetry, and overall score (Ethics Committee N°: 4381/22). Results: Significant differences were found for anterior temporalis percent overlap coefficient (p = 0.03), overall score (p = 0.03), torsion (p = 0.04), and right anterior temporalis value (p = 0.03), comparing the medians of the groups. Muscular and Articular TMDs athletes had higher musculoskeletal asymmetry and musclework, trigger factors of TMDs related to greater force in clenching. Healthy participants have homogeneous and higher overall score values. Low values of anterior muscles percent overlap coefficient and torsion, and overall score, associated with high values of posterior asymmetric components, could more easily identify muscular patients. Linear discriminant analysis showed an overall good discriminating ability of electromyographic indices to identify TMDs. Conclusions: Asymmetry and absolute musculoskeletal asymmetry, main indices related to TMDs, need special attention during electromyography. Since healthy athletes show higher correlations between parameters, they could be more easily recognized by electromyography, but the tool seems useful also with muscular TMDs. Athletes are often affected by trauma and muscular injuries, and potential candidates to develop temporomandibular dysfunctions TMDs.