OBJECTIVE: To compare head positioning and cervical spine alignment between individuals with and without temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), by means of positional evaluation using photographs, radiographs and visual observation, and to investigate whether the type of TMD influences head posture and cervical spine positioning. METHODS: Ninety randomly chosen women were diagnosed using the research diagnostic criteria for TMDs (RDC/TMD) by a trained examiner and were divided into three groups: Group 1, with a diagnosis of myofascial dysfunction (group I of RDC axis I); Group 2, with mixed TMD (groups I, II and III of RDC axis I); and Control, without TMD. Following this, the participants were photographed in frontal and lateral views by a single examiner. To produce these photos, the following anatomical points were marked out on the skin: occipital protuberance, C4, C7, acromioclavicular joint and sternoclavicular joint. From these points, different angles were analyzed by means of the ALCimagem-2000 application. These same photos were then evaluated qualitatively (visual evaluation). Next, lateral teleradiography and radiography of the cervical spine was requested. The examiner was blind when analyzing the images. To compare the results, the chi-squared test and analysis of variance were used, with significance levels of 5%. RESULTS: Regardless of the method used, the results revealed that head and cervical spine posture did not differ between the groups with and without TMD, independent of the diagnostic group. CONCLUSION: The posture of individuals with myogenic or arthrogenous TMD does not differ from the posture of individuals without TMD. The presence of TMD does not influence the head and cervical spine posture.
temporomandibular joint; photogrammetry; cephalometry; posture
