Influence of Data Visualization of Temporomandibular Joint on the Formation of Clinical Groups

Abstract

Abstract. The objective of this study was an analysis of the patient complaints of a structure and the nature of the formation of clinical groups for the study of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). We examined 28 men and 148 women with TMD. We analyzed 604 tomographic images. Statistical processing included cross tables and chi-square analysis. Twenty-eight percent of the study population was followed up in a general clinical network, presenting with facial pain. Dental clinics established primary clinical diagnoses: arthrosis and arthritis (71%), dislocation or subluxation of the temporomandibular joint head (16.5%), and/or temporomandibular joint dysfunction (12.5%). X-rays showed the combination of functional disorders (75%) and degenerative dystrophic changes (67%) of the temporomandibular joint; the x-ray norm was observed in 9% of cases. By TMJ visualization, we established the clinical features of females with TMD, depending on the reproductive stage. For patients in puberty, joint mobility was limited (44.4%, p = 0.045) compared with head dislocation, and arthritis (p = 0.024) was predominant. For patients in the early reproductive stage, head subluxation (48.5%, p < 0.010) was found in all detected pathologies except deforming arthrosis. For patients in the late reproductive stage and perimenopause, half of the examined patients had deforming arthrosis (52.8% in the late reproductive stage, p < 0.01, for all detected pathologies, except for limited joint mobility; 50% in perimenopause, p < 0.05, with radiologic norms, dislocation of the head, and arthritis). In postmenopausal women, arthritis and sclerotic arthrosis were noted (30.8% and 27.8%, respectively). Structure of the patient complaints and the nature of the formation of clinical groups of patients with TMD were determined by the place of primary treatment, specialization of the institution, and the level of techniques of primary diagnosis of TMD. This affected the patients' quality of treatment and is a cause of chronic (58%) TMD.

Technology for High-Sensitivity Analysis of Medical Diagnostic Images

“…The side of each square is equal to the square root of the ratio of the pixel count with a particular brightness to the total number of MI pixels. We assigned a particular color of a certain color model (CM) to each MI brightness gradation from white to black [ 19 ]. We assigned the selected CM colors to the squares placed in the square with an area equaling 2.…”

“…Patient Kh. (the case history was described in [ 19 ]) was reported to have an odontogenic cyst. To replace the affected bone tissue, we used osteoconductive granular bone graft material of animal origin.…”