Ultrasound- and Palpation-Based Training for Localizing Temporomandibular Joint Structures in Physiotherapists: Is It Effective?

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program for physiotherapists to enhance their accuracy in identifying musculoskeletal structures of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) through palpation and ultrasound.
MATRERIAL and METHOD: A total of 55 volunteer physiotherapists participated in this study. Participants received 6 hours of theoretical and 10 hours of practical training on the anatomy of the TMJ and associated structures. Performance in ultrasound visualization, anatomical localization, and palpation identification was evaluated before and after training using a semi-quantitative 4-point ordinal scale (0–3) adapted from the OMERACT ultrasound scoring framework. The Vocational Interest Scale (VIS) was used to measure changes in professional interest.
RESULTS: After training, it was observed that the ability to locate anatomical structures by palpation and ultrasound showed statistically significantly improvement (p<0.001). Participants achieved significantly higher accuracy (p<0.001) across all structures. Large effect sizes (V>0.50) were observed, with the masseter reaching 100% and medial pterygoid reaching 90.9% localization accuracy. The average total score on the VIS was found to be 3.97 out of 5, indicating a high level of professional interest post-training.
CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that integrating ultrasound into physiotherapy training significantly enhances palpation skills and anatomical knowledge, positively influencing clinical practice. Additionally, the increase in professional interest highlights the potential for such training to boost career satisfaction and motivation