Morphology of the Temporomandibular Joints Regarding the Presence of Osteoarthritic Changes

Abstract

1) Osteoarthritis, the most common disease of the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), is diagnosed by clinical and radiographic examination. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a method of choice for the imaging of osteoarthritic changes. The objective was to compare the morphology of the TMJs in CBCT images regarding the number of the osteoarthritic changes diagnosed in the area of the condyle. (2) A total of 105 patients participated in the study; their 210 TMJs were allocated into one of three groups regarding the number of diagnosed osteoarthritic changes: 1 (none or 1 type), 2 (2 types), 3 (3 or more types). The morphology of the TMJ was examined for each TMJ in the CBCT images. Statistical analysis was performed with STATISTICA version 12.0. The statistical significance level was p = 0.05 for all the measurements included. (3) The articular surface flattening was the most common type of the osteoarthritic changes (90%). The condylar A-P dimension differed significantly among the groups (p = 0.0001). The bigger the number of osteoarthritic changes diagnosed in one joint, the smaller the condylar A-P dimension that was observed. (4) The temporomandibular joints' osteoarthritic changes occur very often, even among asymptomatic patients. The increased number of osteoarthritic changes seems to have an impact on the condylar anteroposterior dimension. Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.D.; methodology, M.D.; validation, M.D., M.M.-K., and E.P.; formal analysis, M.D.; investigation, M.D.; resources, M.D.; writing-original draft preparation, M.D.; writing-review and editing, M.M.-K. and E.P.; visualization, M.D.; supervision, M.M.-K. and E.P.; project administration, M.D., M.M.-K., and E.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This research received no external funding. Conflicts of Interest:The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Symptoms, disc position, occluding pairs, and facial skeletal characteristics of older patients with temporomandibular disorders

“…However, TMJOA could begin in early life with asymptomatic osseous changes. 29 The possibility that craniofacial changes are consequences of TMJOA cannot be denied, currently. Although existing cross-sectional studies claimed that growth is a major reason for subsequent unfavorable TMJ loads 30 and compromised condylar development, further comprehensive longitudinal investigations are needed.…”

Temporomandibular Joints’ Morphology and Osteoarthritic Changes in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Images in Patients with and without Reciprocal Clicking—A Case Control Study

“…For this research we examined the same group of patients, which we had already presented in our previous research [8]. There were 105 patients included into the study (79 women and 26 men, mean age: 24.93±7.74 years).…”

“…Inclusive criteria: the age between 16 and 60 years old, people who wanted to participate in the study, with no systemic diseases, and those who had never been treated orthodontically. Excluded from the study were all the cases with: the age below 16 and above 60 years old, anterior disc displacement without reduction, temporomandibular joint ankylosis, pregnancy, rheumatological diseases, oncological diseases, people who had undergone radiotherapy (especially in the area of head and neck), patients who had ever had any traumas in the field of head and neck, people who had been treated orthodontically at least once in the past, and those who did not agree to take part in the study [1,8,9]. All patients received and signed informed consent.…”

“…Each patient underwent standard pre-orthodontic-treatment examination, which was extended by taking additional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) [10]. The indications for taking additional CBCT scans were: either the presence of the TMJs' reciprocal clicking or asymptomatic patients who presented at least one of the below mentioned manifestations: occlusal instability, teeth attrition, masticatory muscles hypertension, teeth clenching, and family history of temporomandibular joint disorder [1,8,9].…”

“…Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging was conducted on MyRay Hyperion X9 3D (company: CEFLA, Imola, Italy). The parameters of exposition were 90kV, 18mAs, and exposition time of 3.6 s. Established field of view (FOV) was 8 cm × 5 cm, and the thickness of slices was 0.3 mm [8].…”