Association between condylar asymmetry and temporomandibular disorders using 3D-CT.
OBJECTIVE
Using reconstructed three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) models, the purpose of this study was to analyze and compare mandibular condyle morphology in patients with and without temporomandibular disorder (TMD).


METHODS
Thirty-two patients were divided into two groups: the first comprised those with TMD (n=18), and the second those who did not have TMD (n=14). A CT of each patient was obtained and reconstructed as a 3D model. The 64 resulting 3D condylar models were evaluated for possible TMD-associated length, width and height asymmetries of the condylar process. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the results and student' s t tests applied to compare the two groups.


RESULTS
Statistically significant (p<0.05) vertical, mediolateral and sagittal asymmetries of the condylar process were observed between TMD and non-TMD groups. TMD patients showed less condylar height (p<0.05) in comparison with their asymptomatic counterparts.


CONCLUSIONS
Using 3D-CT, it was shown that condylar width, height and length asymmetries were a common feature of TMD.
Department of Stomatology, University of Seville, School of Dentistry of Seville, C/ Avicena s/n 41009, Seville, Spain. brpi@us.es
Rosa-María
RM
Yáñez-Vico
Alejandro
A
Iglesias-Linares
Daniel
D
Torres-Lagares
José-Luis
JL
Gutiérrez-Pérez
Enrique
E
Solano-Reina
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed