Effects of stabilization splint combined with manual therapy on condylar morphology and skeletal parameters in patients with temporomandibular disorders
- 1Corresponding author. No.s 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China.
- 2Department of Stomatology, The Third XiangYa Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, China
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the effects of stabilization splint combined with manual therapy on condylar morphology and skeletal parameters in patients with TMD using CBCT. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 200 TMD patients treated between January 2022 and December 2025. Condylar volume (CV), condylar height (CH), degenerative changes, joint space parameters, cephalometric skeletal parameters (SNA, SNB, ANB, AFH, PFH, ramus height, mandibular body length, mandibular plane angle), visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores (rest, opening, chewing), maximum mouth opening (MMO), and Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire (MFIQ) scores were assessed. Results: Patients were divided into a combined therapy group (n = 123) receiving stabilization splint plus manual therapy and a stabilization splint group (n = 77) receiving splint alone. CBCT scans were performed at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. At 6 months, the combined therapy group showed significantly greater CV (P = 0.040) and CH (P = 0.036), lower rates of flattening (P < 0.001) and erosion (P = 0.002), a lower SNB (P = 0.017), higher ANB (P < 0.001), larger condylar angle (P = 0.015), greater AFH (P = 0.023), lower VAS-rest (P = 0.007), VAS-open (P < 0.001), VAS-chew (P < 0.001), greater MMO (P < 0.001), and lower MFIQ scores (P < 0.001) compared with the splint alone group. Adjusted between-group differences were 29.8 mm 3 (95% CI 1.2–58.4) for condylar volume and 0.31 mm (95% CI 0.02–0.60) for condylar height. The primary outcomes were condylar volume and condylar height; all other endpoints were secondary and exploratory. No multiplicity adjustment was applied. Conclusion: Combined stabilization splint and manual therapy was associated with greater improvements in condylar morphology, skeletal parameters, pain, and mandibular function than splint alone. However, given the non-randomized retrospective design and lack of multiplicity adjustment, these findings are exploratory associations rather than causal effects.
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BibTeX
@article{kang2026effects,
title = {{Effects of stabilization splint combined with manual therapy on condylar morphology and skeletal parameters in patients with temporomandibular disorders}},
author = {Yi Kang and Siqi Guo},
journal = {Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.jrras.2026.102765},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2026.102765},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of stabilization splint combined with manual therapy on condylar morphology and skeletal parameters in patients with temporomandibular disorders
AU - Yi Kang
AU - Siqi Guo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences
DO - 10.1016/j.jrras.2026.102765
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2026.102765
AB - Purpose: To evaluate the effects of stabilization splint combined with manual therapy on condylar morphology and skeletal parameters in patients with TMD using CBCT. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 200 TMD patients treated between January 2022 and December 2025. Condylar volume (CV), condylar height (CH), degenerative changes, joint space parameters, cephalometric skeletal parameters (SNA, SNB, ANB, AFH, PFH, ramus height, mandibular body length, mandibular plane angle), visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores (rest, opening, chewing), maximum mouth opening (MMO), and Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire (MFIQ) scores were assessed. Results: Patients were divided into a combined therapy group (n = 123) receiving stabilization splint plus manual therapy and a stabilization splint group (n = 77) receiving splint alone. CBCT scans were performed at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. At 6 months, the combined therapy group showed significantly greater CV (P = 0.040) and CH (P = 0.036), lower rates of flattening (P < 0.001) and erosion (P = 0.002), a lower SNB (P = 0.017), higher ANB (P < 0.001), larger condylar angle (P = 0.015), greater AFH (P = 0.023), lower VAS-rest (P = 0.007), VAS-open (P < 0.001), VAS-chew (P < 0.001), greater MMO (P < 0.001), and lower MFIQ scores (P < 0.001) compared with the splint alone group. Adjusted between-group differences were 29.8 mm 3 (95% CI 1.2–58.4) for condylar volume and 0.31 mm (95% CI 0.02–0.60) for condylar height. The primary outcomes were condylar volume and condylar height; all other endpoints were secondary and exploratory. No multiplicity adjustment was applied. Conclusion: Combined stabilization splint and manual therapy was associated with greater improvements in condylar morphology, skeletal parameters, pain, and mandibular function than splint alone. However, given the non-randomized retrospective design and lack of multiplicity adjustment, these findings are exploratory associations rather than causal effects.
SN - 2314-7164
SN - 1687-8507
ER -