Background: The mandibular condyle’s shape varies according to genetic, environmental, and functional factors. To diagnose temporomandibular disorders and to plan orthodontic and prosthodontic therapies, it is imperative to evaluate these variances. One popular imaging technique for evaluating condylar morphology is panoramic radiography (orthopantomograms OPGs). Objectives: The study’s objectives are to determine the prevalence of various condylar shapes and how they relate to age and gender by employing OPGs to retrospectively assess condylar morphology in a Saudi population. Methods: One thousand digital OPGs from patients who were at least 18 years old were the subject of a retrospective cross-sectional investigation. Oval, diamond, bird beak, and crooked finger forms were the four categories into which condylar morphology was divided. The OPGs were reviewed by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Using SPSS software version 27.0, the data were examined to look for correlations between condylar morphology and demographic characteristics using chi-square tests and descriptive statistics. Results: The most common condylar morphology observed was the oval type (53.5% on the right and 52.3% on the left), followed by bird beak (22.4% right, 23.6% left), diamond (14.2% right, 13.9% left), and crooked finger (9.9% right, 10.2% left). Oval condyles were more prevalent in younger age groups, whereas degenerative changes (crooked finger morphology) were more common in older individuals. Gender-based variations revealed that males had a higher prevalence of oval condyles, while females exhibited a greater frequency of diamond and crooked finger morphologies. A statistically significant association was found between right condylar morphology and age groups. Conclusion: The study confirms the predominance of oval-shaped condyles across all age groups and genders, with degenerative changes becoming more prevalent with age. Gender-based variations in condylar morphology may be attributed to genetic, hormonal, and functional factors. OPG remains a reliable and accessible tool for assessing condylar morphology.
Waleed Alalawi (Thu,) studied this question.