Radiographic Signs of Temporomandibular Joint Disease: An Investigation Utilizing X-Ray Computed Tomography

A retrospective investigation was made of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) x-ray computed to pograms (CT) of 103 patients who were examined for TMJ pain and dysfunction. Forty-six (45%) of the patients had radiographic signs of osseous TMJ disease. Assessment was made of the frequency and severity of the classical radiographic signs of joint disease: sclerosis, decreased joint space, osteophytosis, cysts or pseudocysts and cortical/subcortical rarefaction. These classical signs were correlated with the additional radiographic findings of lateral joint reciprocal reshaping, changes in condylar angulation and in the position of the coronoid process tip, a decrease in the transverse condylar dimension and changes in the shape of the condyle, articular eminence, and glenoid fossa. It was found that condylar transverse size, condylar angulation, condylar shape, size and shape of the glenoid fossa, and position of the coronoid process tip changed in the diseased joints. These variables were found to be interrelated and significantly correlated to the radiographic severity of disease.