Correlating cone beam CT results with temporomandibular joint pain of osteoarthritic origin.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether bony changes in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis (OA) is correlated with pain and other clinical signs and symptoms. METHODS: Clinical data and cone beam CT (CBCT) images of 30 patients with TMJ OA were analysed. The criteria of Koyama et al (Koyama J, Nishiyama H, Hayashi T. Follow-up study of condylar bony changes using helical computed tomography in patients with temporomandibular disorder. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 2007; 36: 472-477.) and Ahmad et al [Ahmad M, Hollender L, Anderson Q, Kartha K, Ohrbach R, Truelove EL, et al. Research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD): development of image analysis criteria and examiner reliability for image analysis. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2009; 107: 844-860.] were used to classify the condyles observed on the CBCT. Clinical measures included self-reported pain, mandibular range of motion, TMJ sound, pain on palpation of the TMJ and masticatory muscles, and pain on jaw function. Generalized linear modelling was used to correlate the clinical and radiographic findings and Spearman's rho was used to correlate the two classification systems. RESULTS: There was poor correlation between the maximum condyle change and pain rating (Koyama: r² = 0.1443, p = 0.3995; Ahmad: r² = 0.0273, p = 0.9490), maximum mouth opening (Koyama: r² = 0.2910, p = 0.0629; Ahmad: r² = 0.2626, p = 0.0951), protrusion (Koyama: r² = 0.0875, p = 0.7001; Ahmad: r² = 0.1658, p = 0.3612), right lateral motion (Koyama: r² = 0.0394, p = 0.9093; Ahmad: r² = 0.0866, p = 0.6877) and left lateral motion (Koyama: r² = 0.0943, p = 0.6494; Ahmad: r² = 0.1704, p = 0.3236). Strong correlation was observed between Koyama et al's and Ahmad et al's classifications for average (r = 0.9216, p < 0.001) and maximum (r = 0.7694; p < 0.0001) bony change. CONCLUSIONS: There was poor correlation between condylar changes (as observed on CBCT images), pain and other clinical signs and symptoms in TMJ OA.

Quantification of condylar resorption in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the condylar morphologic variation of osteoarthritic (OA) and asymptomatic temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and to determine its correlation with pain intensity and duration. STUDY DESIGN: Three-dimensional surface models of mandibular condyles were constructed from cone-beam computerized tomography images of 29 female patients with TMJ OA (Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders group III) and 36 female asymptomatic subjects. Shape correspondence was used to localize and quantify the condylar morphology. Statistical analysis was performed with multivariate analysis of covariance analysis, using Hotelling T(2) metric based on covariance matrices, and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: The OA condylar morphology was statistically significantly different from the asymptomatic condyles (P < .05). Three-dimensional morphologic variation of the OA condyles was significantly correlated with pain intensity and duration. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional quantification of condylar morphology revealed profound differences between OA and asymptomatic condyles, and the extent of the resorptive changes paralleled pain severity and duration.