Clinical and radiological findings related to treatment outcome in patients with temporomandibular disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that the outcome of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is not influenced by condylar position, asymmetry, angle or structural bone changes.


METHODS
Eighty consecutive patients (60 women, 20 men) with an age range of 6-81 years, referred to the Department of Stomatognathic Physiology, were included in the study. The patients were clinically and radiologically examined before and at least 1 year after treatment.


RESULTS
The most common clinical diagnoses among the patients were TMD with a neuromuscular background in 35% and osteoarthritis in 21%. Seventy-two per cent of the patients were symptom-free or better, 24% unchanged and 1% worse 1 year or more after treatment. After treatment the bone structure of the TMJ was unchanged in 83% of the patients, in 12% erosions healed and in 5% erosions developed. Almost all patients had some degree of condylar displacement on tomography before treatment. In the majority the condylar position was unchanged after treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
No single radiographic finding was found to be related to the treatment outcome and therefore plain radiography has a minor role in the management of TMD.
Nilner
M
M
Department of Stomatognathic Physiology, Faculty of Odontology, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
Petersson
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014056:Tomography, X-Ray / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome