Evaluation of condylar changes in relation to various malocclusions

Abstract

Introduction: Variability in the size and shape of mandibular condyles among individuals of different sexes and ages may appear as a remodeling process to accommodate malocclusion. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess whether or not associations exist between different types of malocclusions and morphological modifications of the mandibular condyle. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on the Medline database via PubMed interface and supplemented by a manual search via Google Scholar to identify more articles reporting the subject of the review. A combination of controlled vocabulary was used in the search strategy and the final update was stopped on January 2021. The risk of bias was assessed based on the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results and Discussion: Considering the preestablished inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 articles were retained with 2607 human subjects (967 males/1299 females and 341 not specified, age: 4–60 years). Eighty percent of the selected articles reported associations between malocclusion and morphological changes of the condylar head. Sagittal plane malocclusions produce more changes to the temporomandibular joint components (head of condyle and joint space) (71.93%), while vertical malocclusions lead to the most severe manifestations. Conclusions: Cone-beam computed tomography is the most useful tool for the assessment of osseous morphology of mandibular head condyles and detection of cortical erosion (21.7%). Associations between morphological changes of the condylar head and specific types of malocclusions were proven. However, there is still a need for more clinical studies.