Color Doppler sonography of blood flow an and around the masticatory muscles in patients with myofascial pain-Method for evaluating effect of splint treatment-

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Myofascial pain may be provoked in relation to muscle edema, which depends on the balance of in- and out-flows of blood. In order to clarify characteristics of the masticatory muscle in patients with myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD) syndrome, the muscle thickness, internal echogenecity of the masticatory muscle, and diameter and blood flow velocity of the facial artery were evaluated using color Doppler ultrasonography, in comparison with those of the healthy volunteers. Consequently, there were significant differences in the muscle thickness, distribution of echogenic band patterns and diameter and maximum velocity between the two groups. These findings of muscle edema may be of some help to explicate cause of pain in MPD patients.Although therapeutic methods of myofascial pain have not been established yet, some have reported effectiveness of splint therapy. We performed splint therapy for MPD patients, and analyzed changes of the ultrasonographic characteristics of the masticatory muscle in relation with the symptom. Most of patients were relieved from pain with change of echogenic band patterns and/or with decrease in the muscle thickness. Relief of the muscle edema may be related with improvement of symptom, and further study would be demanded. There were no differences in the influence on blood flow velocities between the different types of splints. In conclusion, color Doppler ultrasonography may be partially useful for assessment of therapeutic effect.