Chiropractic Management of Capsulitis and Synovitis of the Temporomandibuiar Joint Darryl D. Curl. DDS. DC Localized inflammatory conditions (eg, synovitis and capsulitis) of Associate Professor the temporomandibuiar joint are commonly seen in clinical prac- Division of Clinicai Seiences tice. Regardless of their frequency of occurrence, these conditions Department of Diagnosis must be differentially diagnosed from conditions that also may Director Faeulty Resource Group cause pain in the temporomandibuiar joint region. Capsulitis or Los Angeles College of Chiropractic synovitis should be considered if such pain is present and historical, 16200 East Amber Valley Dnve physical, and laboratory findings do not indicate a referred pain Whittier, California 90602 phenomena or systemic, tumorous, or infectious involvement. This article reviews the clinical characteristics, etiology, physical exami- Georgiane Stanwood, DC nation methods, treatment, and prognosis for capsulitis and synovi- Los Angeles, California tis, and three cases that illustrate these conditions are reported. Correspondence to Dr Curl J OROFACIAL PAIN 1993;7:283-293. omplaints of dysfunction and pain should be differenrially diagnosed to choose a correct and successful method of Ctreatment. Pain, when it occurs in the region of the tem- poromandibuiar joint (TMJ), may arise from several causes: inflammation of the pre-auricular lymph node'; otitis media or externa-; referred pain from a trigger point'; and tendonosynovitis of the temporaiis tendon as ir passes behind tbe zygomatic arch.'' Certain facial or dental pams, such as rrigeminal neuralgia' or den- tal caries," may initially preseor as pain over the TMJ, Bony tumors, both benign and malignanr (primary and metastaric), that lie in the TMJ region have been reported to initially present as TMJ pain.'" The inflammatory arthritides ¡ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, psoriaric arrhritis, ere) may inirially present as TMJ pain, and the inirial presentation is com- monly of isolated TMJ involvement.'"" in the case of chronic pain, the practitioner must first differenriare between whether the com- plaints are due to organic changes or psychosocial factors,"-" Then, of course, rhere are rhe common organic changes involving the TMJ that may catise local pain. Such changes have been eiassified within the Internarional Headache Society's Classification and Diagnostic Criteria for Headache Disorders, Cranial Neuralgias, and Facial Pain (lHSC),'" Infiammatory condirions of the TMJ (IHSC no, 11.7,5), the ropic of this paper, are furrher subdivided to synoviris (IHSC no. \].7.5.\; ICD no, 727,09) and capsuliris (IHSC no. 11,7.5.2; ICD no, 716.98]. For the purposes of this paper, synovitis refers to intracapsular inflammation primarily affecting the posterior atrachment, whereas capsulitis refers ro inflammation of rhe srrucrures primarily comprising rhe joint capsule. The term "posterior attach- ment" is used as described by Scapino'* and refers co the vascular and innervated tissue lying behind the articular disc, which has been previ- ously referred to as "bilaminar zone" or "rerrodiscal tissue" (Fig 1). Journai of Orofacial Pain 283 Curi ing of the anatomy of tbe TMJ), and it was often intermingled witb many other temporomandibular Disc disorders (TMDs)—all of which were fluttered together under one, two, or three diagnosli«, terms. This trend—to view TMD as an ail-inclu'-ive syn- drome—would continue until a more detailed understanding of the TMJ developed. For c\:imple Shore," in 1976, includes at least three different Posterior disorders in the single clinical condition of TMJ arthrosis: Condyle Attachment ... a noninfectious, trophic, degenerative affiiction of the joint tissues . Pyrexia does Fig 1 Posterior actachment. not occur, but swelling caused by joint effu- sion . may be present. [This may include synovitis, capsulitis or one of the infiammato- ry arthritides.l Tbe trauma causes changes within tbe tissues of the joint which may Clinical Characteristics result in joint effusion. The effusion is nonin- fectious swelling of the arthrotic lesion and is usually nonarticular . , The clinical manifes- Synovitis tations of temporomandibular joint arthrosis . [include] . , clicking, crackling noises, Tbe term synovitis, as it is currently used, bas been crepitation, tenderness, pain in and around preceded by various terms such as prearthritis, the joint. traumatic arthritis, intracapsular edema, retrodiscitis, and posterior capsulitis." Of these, In the mid 19S0s, Friedman et al," Bell," and retrodiscitis and posterior capsulitis have seen pop- many others presented capsulitis as a distinct clini- ular use up to the late 1980s, with the latter being cal entity. In 1985, BcIF described capsular pain used most often. Posterior capsulitis was first rec- as a result of inflammation of the fibrous capsule ogni?.ed and defined as a specific organic condition and its inner synovial lining. He reported that of the TMJ hy Farrar™ in 1968, In that article and technically this results in both synovitis and cap- subsequent communications,-' be states that tbis sulitis and presented the argument that "to distin- disorder follows a typical course of events: (a) tbe guish between the two is difficult if not impossible posterior attachment becomes edematous; (b) clinically," That is to say, one cannot be certain if intracapsular pressure increases; (c) the condyle just the fibrous capsule or just tbe inner synovial becomes displaced anteriorly in the rest position, lining of the capsule is inflamed. In any event, both causing a barely perceptible midline shift to the Bell and tbe iHSC agree that capsular pain is pro- opposite side; (d) ipsilateral disocclusion occurs; voked when the infiamed capsule is stretched (eg, and (e) joint pain results and is aggravated when by translatory movement of the capsule). The pain, tbe patient attempts to fully occlude the ipsilateral therefore, is exacerbated by protrusion or lateral teeth, thus forcing the condyle backward against excursion of the mandible, contralateral chewing, the inflamed posterior attachment. This original and wide mouth opening, Capsulitis is further characterization closely parallels the diagnostic cri- characterized by palpable tenderness or pain teria for synovitis as described by the IHSC. directly over the condyle, and minor swelling over the joint may be detected (Table 1). Capsulitis This lesion was first described by Cooper" in Etiology 1S23. FJistorically, the term capsulitis bas been used interchangeably with synovitis, and botb of It is commonly believed tbat the various factors tbese terms have been used interchangeably wich that alter joint dynamics contribute to the forma- arthritis, arthralgia, confusion, and arthrosis tcm- tion of synovitis or capsulitis. Factors such as poromandibularis. The recognition of capsulitis as changes in occlusion, occlusal interferences, loss of a specific disorder was slow to develop (its devel- posterior support, iatrogenic malocclusion, abusive opment coincided with the increased understand- orai habits, occupational conditions (eg, holding 284 Voiume7. Number3, 1993 Curi Table 1 Clinical Characteristics of Synovitis and Capsul itis iynovitis Capsulitis Pain IS increased by clenching the teeth to maximum intercuspation No increase ir pain when cienching Pain IS decreased by biting against a separator that prevents maiiimum No change in pain when biting against a separator intercuspation of the teeth Pain is increased by forced ipsiiateral excursive movement of the mandibie increased pair dunng transiatory movements No change in pain with resisted protrusion of the mandible Decreased range of motion Acute malocciusion = ipsiiateral disacclusion Acute maiocciusior = ipsiiateral disocclusior Secondary centrai effects may be displayed Secondary central effects may be dispiayed Palpable tenderness directiy aver condyle Joints sounds dunng first moments foliowing periods of inactivity the telephone receiver between the shoulder and large joints of patients with infiammatory joint dis- ear), hruxism, microtrauma, and some of the con- orders have demonstrated the existence of metabo- ditions mentioned at the beginning of this article lites of the arachidonic acid cascade.^•'"^' Similar can cause muscular imbalance and lead to studies on the TMJ, using patients with acute syn- increased loading of the TMJ,-' ovitis, are rare. Up until recently, it was assumed that the inflammation of the TMJ occurs as it does in any synovial joint of the hody. The recent work Synovitis of Quinn and Bazar" has shed some light on the Friedman and Weisberg" have reported that one of pathophysiologic events leading to the painful the most common causes of TMJ synovitis is an TMJ, Their work isolated two powerful mediators "excessively posteriorly positioned condyle," which of pain and inflammation and showed that traumatizes the synovial membrane and encroaches prostaglandin E, (PE,) and leukotriene R, (LB,) on the highly vascular rerrodiscal tissues. Extrinsic exist in significant concentrations in the synovial trauma, such as an impact to the jaw sustained dur- fluid of inflamed TMJs, Bradykinins and excessive ing a motor vehicle accident or abusive use of the particulate debris initiate the production of PE; and LB4 from the arachidonic acid cascade (Fig 2). jaw, such as from repetitive behaviors (eg, bruxism, Prostaglandin E; is a powerful vasodilator of capil- atypical chewing habits, and chronic gum laries. It