Cone-beam tomography assessment of the condylar position in asymptomatic and symptomatic young individuals

Statement of Problem. Studies of the condyle-mandibular fossa relationship are common, although the role of this relationship in the development of a temporomandibular disorder remains controversial. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the condyle-mandibular fossa relationship in young individuals with intact dentitions and compare it to that between individuals with and without symptoms of temporomandibular disorder. Material and Methods. Volunteers were classified as asymptomatic (n=20) or symptomatic (n=20) according to research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders. Each participant underwent 2 cone beam-computed tomography scans of the middle and lower third of the face: 1 scan of the maximum intercuspation position and 1 of the centric relationship position. The distance between the condyle and mandibular fossa was measured on frontal and lateral images of the temporomandibular joint. The condylar position was compared across groups (asymptomatic, symptomatic) by using the Mann-Whitney U test (alpha=.05). Within each group, the condylar position was compared across maximum intercuspation and centric relationship positions by using the Mann-Whitney U test (alpha=.05). Results. No statistically significant differences were found in condylar positions between centric relationships and maximum intercuspation in either asymptomatic or symptomatic young adults, and no significant differences were found between asymptomatic and symptomatic young adults. Conclusions. The condyle-mandibular fossa relationships of these young adults were similar in the centric relationships and maximum intercuspation positions when evaluated by computed tomography. The presence or absence of temporomandibular disorder was not correlated with the condyle position in the temporomandibular joint.