title: Condylar shape analysis using panoramic radiography units and conventional tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to compare condyle shape between lateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) images from axially corrected tomography and 3 panoramic radiography units with TMJ-specific programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The TMJ from a single dry human skull was imaged with multidirectional tomography and the following 3 panoramic radiography units: Instrumentarium OP 100, Planmeca PM 2002 CC Proline, and Soredex Orthophos DS. A curve-fitting procedure (spline curves) was used to mathematically describe condyle outlines. One sample t tests were used to compare panoramic images against the tomograms (gold standard).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference (P < .05) in condyle shape was found between TMJ tomography images and each of the 3 panoramic images. Images from the PM 2002 CC Proline demonstrated the smallest shape difference (13.4%), followed by the OP 100 (17.5%) and the Orthophos DS (24.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If panoramic radiography is to be used for the initial radiographic examination of the TMJ, practitioners should be aware of the potential for shape distortion of the condyle.
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mawani
authors.forename: Ernest W N
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Giseon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.forename: Donald W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Raboud
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Major
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016477:Artifacts; D006801:Humans; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008433:Mathematics; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed