title: Condyle position as a predictor of temporomandibular joint internal derangement.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bonilla-Aragon
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Tallents
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Katzberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kyrkanides
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Moss
mesh_terms: 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