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Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate if patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) prior to head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment are at higher risk of developing trismus after oncological treatment. Materials and Methods: Eighty‐three study patients underwent detailed dental examination prior oncological treatment and 6 months after radiotherapy completion, including evaluation of temporomandibular jaw function, palpation of the jaw muscles, and measurement of mouth opening capacity. TMD criteria were based on both clinical examination findings and patient‐reported symptoms. TMD at baseline was used in regression analysis in order to predict restricted mouth opening. Results: At the 6 months follow‐up more than a third of the patients (35%) were examined with reduced mouth opening of >20% compared to baseline. A majority of the patients had bilateral tenderness of both the temporal and the masseter muscle. At the 6 months follow‐up, 42% of the study patients reported mouth opening problems. About one‐third of the patients suffered from fatigue and stiffness of the jaw as well as pain when mowing the jaw. Two questions from the validated symptom‐specific Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire were found to be related to a statistically significant increased risk of restricted mouth opening after radiotherapy; "During the last week, have you felt: Pain on moving the jaw?" (OR [95% CI] 5.9 (1.2–29.4) [p = 0.030]) and "During the last week, have you felt pain and tenderness in the muscles of mastication?" (OR [95% CI] 5.90 [1.19–29.40] [p = 0.030]). Conclusions: TMD is common amongst HNC patients. Patients who suffer from pain in the jaw muscles and pain when moving the jaw before start of treatment are at higher risk of radiation‐induced trismus after 6 months. Clinicians should strive for optimizing the patients pain treatment and oral health before, during, and after radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of structured exercise with jaw mobilizing devices on trismus and its effect on trismus symptomatology and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients. Material and methods. Fifty patients with H&N cancer and trismus, i.e. maximum interincisal opening (MIO) ≤ 35 mm participated in a structured intervention program with jaw exercise. The patients in the intervention group underwent a 10-week exercise program with regular follow-up. A control group comprising of 50 patients with trismus and H&N cancer were matched to the intervention group according to gender, tumor location, tumor stage, comorbidity and age. HRQL and trismus-related symptoms were assessed. Results. The mean MIO improvement was 6.4 mm (4.8-8.0) and 0.7 (−0.3-1.7) mm in the intervention group and control group respectively, three months post-intervention commencement (p < 0.001). The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in Role functioning, Social functioning and Global quality of life (EORTC QLQ C30) and in all Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire (GTQ) domains, i.e. jaw-related problems (p < 0.001), eating limitation (p < 0.05) and muscular tension (p < 0.001). Conclusion. We found that a structured jaw exercise program was effective and improved the mouth opening capacity significantly. The objective effect on trismus (MIO) was also reflected in the patient-reported outcome questionnaires where the patients who underwent the structured exercise program after cancer treatment reported improvements in HRQL and less trismus-related symptoms compared to the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Trismus is a common symptom related to the treatment of head and neck (H&N) cancer. To date there are few prospective studies regarding the incidence of trismus and the patients' experience of trismus in daily life activities. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of trismus in H&N cancer patients and the impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL), by evaluating the patients before and after oncological treatment. Material and methods. We used the criteria for trismus of maximum interincisal opening (MIO) ≤ 35 mm and measured the patients at several occasions before and after treatment during one year. The patients answered the HRQL questionnaires EORTC QLQ C30, EORTC QLQ H&N 35, Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire (GTQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results. The incidence of trismus was 9% pre-treatment and 28% at the one-year follow-up post-treatment. The highest incidence, 38%, was found six months post-treatment. Patients with tumours of the tonsils were most prone to develop trismus. Patients with trismus reported greater HRQL impairments with regard to the GTQ domains; mouth opening (p < 0.001), jaw-related problems (p < 0.05), eating limitations (p < 0.05) and muscular tension (p < 0.001) six months post-treatment. EORTC QLQ H&N 35 scores indicated clinically significantly more problems with dry mouth, swallowing and pain for patients with trismus, 6-12 months post-treatment. Furthermore, all patients reported pain, anxiety and depression pre- and post-treatment. Conclusion. The incidence of trismus in patients with H&N cancer is non-negligible. Trismus severely impairs HRQL and negatively affects daily life activities in patients with H&N cancer. Further studies regarding symptomatic treatment of patients with trismus are highly warranted. The symptom-specific questionnaire GTQ is useful to identify the problems in this group of patients given it is responsive to showing change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiation-induced dysphagia and restricted mouth opening are common problems among patients with head and neck cancer. The aim of the present randomized controlled trial was to determine if an exercise protocol could prevent swallowing and mouth opening impairment., Methods: Eighty-nine participants were randomly assigned to either an active group performing preventive swallowing and mouth opening exercises (n = 45) or to a control group (n = 44). Outcome measures were collected at baseline before radiotherapy and approximately 1-month post-treatment. Primary endpoints were changes in swallowing function according to the Penetration Aspiration Scale and mouth opening ability measured in millimeters. Intention-to-treat analysis was used., Results: Swallowing function and mouth opening deteriorated in both groups, with no statistically significant positive effect of the protocol detected at follow-up. Among patients who completed >75% of exercises, there was a trend toward better outcomes., Conclusions: Preventive exercises did not improve short-term swallowing function and mouth opening after radiotherapy., (© 2024 The Author(s). Head & Neck published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to investigate different stapes surgery techniques in relation to hearing outcome and risk for complications such as tinnitus, hearing deterioration, dizziness, and taste disturbance., Study Design: Retrospective database review., Methods: The study was based on data from the Swedish Quality Register for Otosclerosis Surgery (SQOS). Two study protocols were completed by the surgeon, and a questionnaire was distributed to each patient 1 year after surgery. A total of 832 patients operated on during 2013 to 2016 were included. Pure-tone audiometry was performed preoperatively and 1 year after surgery., Results: There was no significant difference in postoperative high-frequency hearing thresholds among the subgroups at the 1-year follow-up. The CO 2 + drill laser group had the best hearing outcome according to the following criteria: air-bone gap closure ≤10 dB, air-conduction improvement >20 dB, and bone conduction not worsened >5 dB. The overall complication rate was low in all analyzed groups. The most commonly reported symptom after surgery was newly developed or worsened tinnitus (6%). Subjective hearing 1 year after surgery was reported to be better or much better in 91% of the patients., Conclusions: The combination of a drill and CO 2 laser or a drill and potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser resulted in the best hearing outcome in this study from the SQOS. There were no major differences in high-frequency hearing outcome when comparing the different surgical techniques. Complications from surgery were rare, and patient satisfaction was very high 1 year after the operation., Level of Evidence: NA Laryngoscope, 130:790-796, 2020., (© 2019 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)