Gene Mutations Associated with Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a bilateral synovial joint between the mandible and the temporal bone of the skull. TMJ disorders (TMDs) are a set of complicated and poorly understood clinical conditions, in which TMDs are associated with a number of symptoms including pain and limited jaw movement. The increasing scientific evidence suggests that genetic factors play a significant role in the pathology of TMDs. However, the underlying mechanism of TMDs remains largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the associated genes to TMDs in humans and animals. METHODS: The literature search was conducted through databases including Medline (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), and PubMed (NLM) by using scientific terms for TMDs and genetics in March 2015. Additional studies were identified by searching bibliographies of highly relevant articles and Scopus (Elsevier). RESULTS: Our systematic analyses identified 31 articles through literature searches. A total of 112 genes were identified to be significantly and specifically associated with TMDs. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review provides a list of accurate genes associated with TMDs and suggests a genetic contribution to the pathology of TMDs.