Condyle position as a predictor of temporomandibular joint internal derangement.
BACKGROUND
The significance of the position of the mandibular condyle in the glenoid fossa remains a controversial subject.


OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the relationship between condyle position and disk displacement.


METHODS
Fifty-two asymptomatic volunteers and 130 symptomatic patients underwent linear tomography and bilateral temporomandibular joint magnetic resonance scans.


RESULTS
There was a higher prevalence of distal condyles in symptomatic patients with disk displacement compared with asymptomatic volunteers (P <.05). Distally positioned condyles identified joints with disk displacement with reduction, disk displacement without reduction, or a symptomatic normal joint with a sensitivity of 0.64, 0.56, and 0.33, respectively. Distally positioned condyles identified joints with disk displacement with reduction, disk displacement without reduction, or a symptomatic normal joint with a specificity of 0.56, 0.65, and 0.55, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
There were more distal condyles in symptomatic subjects with disk displacement, but the reliability of a distal condyle to predict the presence or absence of disk displacement was low.
Bonilla-Aragon
H
H
University of Rochester Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
Tallents
R H
RH
Katzberg
R W
RW
Kyrkanides
S
S
Moss
M E
ME
D002508:Cephalometry; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000473:pathology; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000473:pathology; D019224:Temporomandibular Joint Disc / Q000473:pathology*; D014054:Tomography