In a patient presenting with pain and temporomandibular disorder, all of the following are important to elicit in the pain history EXCEPT:

Correct answer: D. The path the mandible follows on opening

• A. The quality of the pain is central: dull and aching suggests muscular origin, while sharp and localised suggests intracapsular pathology.
• B. The type of pain matters for the same reason and helps separate myofascial from arthrogenous sources.
• C. Limitation of movement is a core part of the history and drives the diagnosis toward disc displacement without reduction, or toward muscular guarding.
• D. Correct per the reasoning below. The opening path — deviation or deflection — is an examination finding you observe, not something elicited in the pain history.

Note: ⚑ No key was marked for this item in the recall and the four options overlap considerably. The rationale above rests on separating history from examination. Treat this one as unresolved and worth discussing rather than memorising.