Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability, the most common form of chronic disease in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and the most severe disease type of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The etiology of TMD is multifactorial, considering parafunctional habits, sleep bruxism, or sleep disturbance as common factors. Insomnia and apnea are the two most frequent forms of sleep disorders in TMD patients. Due to this, the objective of this systematic review was to highlight whether there is currently scientific evidence in the literature describing that patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) are associated with increased sleep disorders or impaired sleep quality.
Methods: This systematic review was completed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement and was registered with PROSPERO prior to completion of the main search. Original observational studies that analyze the association of sleep disorders and sleep quality in patients with TMJ-OA were included in the present review.
Results: 770 studies were screened by abstract and title according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and finally, 7 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis and a total of 772 patients diagnosed with TMJ-OA.
Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to indicate that patients with TMJ OA are associated with increased sleep disorders or poorer sleep quality.
Keywords: osteoarthritis; sleep wake disorders; temporomandibular joint disorders.