Abstract
BackgroundThere have been no quantitative standards for volumetric and surface measurements of the mandibular condyle in Caucasian population. However, the recently developed cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system allows measurement of these parameters with high accuracy.MethodsCBCT was used to measure the condylar volume, surface and the volume to surface ratio, called the Morphometric Index (MI), of 300 temporo-mandibular joints (TMJ) in 150 Caucasian young adult subjects, with varied malocclusions, without pain or dysfunction of TMJs.ResultsThe condylar volume was 691.26 ± 54.52 mm3 in males and 669.65 ± 58.80 mm3 in, and was significantly higher (p< 0.001) in the males. The same was observed for the condylar surface, although without statistical significance (406.02 ± 55.22 mm2 in males and 394.77 ± 60.73 mm2 in females).Furthermore, the condylar volume (693.61 ± 62.82 mm3 ) in the right TMJ was significantly higher than in the left (666.99 ± 48.67 mm3, p < 0.001) as was the condylar surface (411.24 ± 57.99 mm2 in the right TMJ and 389.41 ± 56.63 mm2 in the left TMJ; t = 3.29; p < 0.01). The MI is 1.72 ± 0.17 for the whole sample, with no significant difference between males and females or the right and left sides.ConclusionThese data from temporomandibular joints of patients without pain or clinical dysfunction might serve as examples of normal TMJ's in the general population not seeking orthodontic care.
Highlights
There have been no quantitative standards for volumetric and surface measurements of the mandibular condyle in Caucasian population
No significant difference was found between the two measurements made by the same operator, for the volume (Z = -0.204; p = 0.838) or for the surface (Z = -1.329; p = 0.184), as assessed with the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test
The right condyle shows a significantly higher volume than the left condyle, and males show a higher condylar volume when compared with females (Table 4)
Summary
There have been no quantitative standards for volumetric and surface measurements of the mandibular condyle in Caucasian population. Three-dimensional (3-D) Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) systems [1] produce images with high resolution (100-300 micron) and minimal distortion, that allows evaluating osteoarthrosis in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It allows for correlating the diagnosis to the age of the patient, [2,3] individuation of remodeling areas, [4] erosions, osteophytes, lines of fracture, bone resorption, [1] condylar displacement after orthognatic surgery, [5] or particular clinical evidences, such as the trifid condyle [6]. The condyle (its shape and volume) demonstrates adaptability to functional stimuli and this adaption can play an important role in the stability of long-term orthodontic and orthognathic therapies [7]
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