Non-Cochrane · aetiology · PM42174574
Morphological and mechanical properties of masticatory muscles in patients with temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Kaynak Besime Ahu, Yüzbaşıoğlu Ümit, Eki̇ci̇ Ece, et al. · BMC oral health · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1186/s12903-026-08548-4
Findings
Population Adults aged 18-65 years with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs)
6 findings
| TMDs (exposure group) | Healthy controls | Masseter muscle thickness Sensitivity analysis: n = 6 studies (small, low-weight studies excluded) | MD -0.01 [-0.98, 0.96] GRADE not reported 6 studies |
| TMDs (exposure group) | Healthy controls | Masseter muscle thickness Sensitivity analysis: n = 7 studies (small, low-weight studies excluded) | MD -0.37 [-1.55, 0.82] GRADE not reported 7 studies |
| TMDs (exposure group) | Healthy controls | Masseter muscle thickness | MD -0.12 [-1.13, 0.88] GRADE not reported 8 studies · 476 participants |
| TMDs (exposure group) | Healthy controls | Masseter muscle stiffness | SMD 0.78 [0.34, 1.22] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 323 participants |
| TMDs (exposure group) | Healthy controls | Anterior temporalis muscle thickness | MD -0.32 [-0.85, 0.21] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 211 participants |
| TMDs (exposure group) | Healthy controls | Lateral pterygoid muscle thickness | MD 0.28 [-0.10, 0.66] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 125 participants |
Included primary studies 13
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akkoca 2025 Role of the masseter, anterior temporalis, and sternocleidomastoid muscles in myofascial temporomandibular disorder pain: evaluation of… PMID:39937312 | 2025 | this review only | Masseter muscle stiffness; Masseter muscle thickness; Anterior temporalis muscle thickness | not extracted yet |
| Alizadeh 2023 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | Masseter muscle thickness; Lateral pterygoid muscle thickness | not extracted yet |
| Ariji 2004 Ultrasonographic features of the masseter muscle in female patients with temporomandibular disorder associated with myofascial pain. PMID:15356473 | 2004 | this review only | Masseter muscle thickness | not extracted yet |
| Ariji 2013 Sonographic elastography for evaluation of masseter muscle hardness DOI:10.1007/s11282-012-0111-3 | 2012 | this review only | Masseter muscle stiffness | not extracted yet |
| Arikan 2023 Ultrasonographic evaluation of the masseter muscle in patients with temporomandibular joint degeneration. PMID:38174042 | 2023 | this review only | Masseter muscle thickness | not extracted yet |
| Bilgen 2025 Volume and morphological characteristics of masticatory muscles in patients with unilateral disc displacement without reduction and… PMID:40368216 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Dursun 2025 Postural and biomechanical insights in disc displacement with reduction DOI:10.22514/jofph.2025.030 | 2025 | this review only | Masseter muscle stiffness | not extracted yet |
| Fathy 2025 Ultrasonographic evaluation of the masseter muscle in temporomandibular disorders patients with myofascial pain: A case-control… PMID:35616982 | 2025 | this review only | Masseter muscle thickness | not extracted yet |
| Kilinc 2024 Investigation of masticatory muscle thickness and mechanosensitivity of cervical and masticatory muscles in myofascial temporomandibular… PMID:38335810 | 2024 | this review only | Masseter muscle thickness; Anterior temporalis muscle thickness | not extracted yet |
| Lee 2021 Assessments of Muscle Thickness and Tonicity of the Masseter and Sternocleidomastoid Muscles and Maximum Mouth Opening in Patients with… DOI:10.3390/healthcare9121640 | 2021 | this review only | Masseter muscle stiffness; Masseter muscle thickness | not extracted yet |
| Polat 2024 Temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles morphometry and morphology in healthy subjects and individuals with temporomandibular… PMID:39686464 | 2024 | this review only | Masseter muscle thickness; Anterior temporalis muscle thickness; Lateral pterygoid muscle thickness | not extracted yet |
| Saglam 2024 Evaluation of the effects of occlusal splint and masseter muscle injection in patients with myofascial pain: a randomised controlled trial. PMID:39800573 | 2024 | this review only | Masseter muscle stiffness | not extracted yet |
| Tas 2021 An investigation of the changes in mechanical properties of the orofacial and neck muscles between patients with myogenous and mixed… PMID:34061722 | 2024 | this review only | Masseter muscle stiffness | not extracted yet |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Individuals aged 18-65 years with TMDs | Adults with TMDs vs healthy controls (n=13 studies; 12 in meta-analysis) |
| Intervention | MRI, SWE, ultrasound, myotonometry (assessment methods; TMDs as exposure) | Ultrasound, SWE, MRI, CBCT, myotonometry |
| Comparison | Healthy individuals aged 18-65 | Healthy controls |
| Outcomes | Thickness, volume, cross-sectional area and stiffness of masticatory muscles | Masseter stiffness (6 studies, n=323); masseter thickness (8 studies, n=476); anterior temporalis thickness (3 studies, n=211); lateral pterygoid thickness (2 studies, n=125); single-study volume and temporalis stiffness outcomes not pooled |
| Study designs | Case-control, cross-sectional and randomized controlled studies | Cross-sectional/case-control studies (n=13) |
| Timing | Not specified | Not specified |