Analysis of magnetic resonance images of disk positions and deformities in 1,265 patients with temporomandibular disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To compare MRI manifestations according to gender and age and to identify correlations between clinical manifestations and MRI findings in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) as based on a large series.


METHODS
Fat suppressed oblique sagittal images of the open and closed mouth were acquired, and MRI scanning parameters were applied.


RESULTS
The patients consisted of 946 females (average, 36.6 years old), and 319 males (average, 34.3 years old). In all TMD patients, 945 had symptoms in the unilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and 320 in the bilateral TMJ. There were significant differences in the distribution of disk positions based on age, regardless of gender, in the unilaterally and bilaterally symptomatic groups; however, the results were not significant in the asymptomatic group. There were significant differences with respect to the distribution of disk positions between males and females in asymptomatic group and in the unilaterally symptomatic group, although the bilaterally symptomatic group did not show significant differences in this regard. As regards the disk positions in the joints of the three groups (asymptomatic group, unilaterally and bilaterally symptomatic groups), there were significant interactive effects of disk positions, regardless of gender. There were statistically significant age-related differences in disk deformities in all symptom groups, regardless of gender, except for in the group of males lacking symptoms in either joint. As regards disk deformities among the three groups studies here, there were significant interactive effects for disk positions, regardless of gender.
Choi
Yong-Suk
YS
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Field of Tumor Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
Asaumi
Jun-Ichi
J
Hisatomi
Miki
M
Unetsubo
Teruhisa
T
Yanagi
Yoshinobu
Y
Matsuzaki
Hidenobu
H
Konouchi
Hironobu
H
Hwang
Eui-Hwan
EH
Lee
Sang-Rae
SR