Correlation between joint effusion and clinical symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopic findings in patients with temporomandibular joint disease

Unlocking the Temporomandibular Joint: CT, MRI, and Arthroscopic Correlation

The temporomandibular joint constitutes a synovial connection between the mandible and the skull base and plays a pivotal role in functions such as jaw movement, chewing, and verbal and emotional expression. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction is observed in about 30% of the population, with a higher prevalence in young to middle-aged women. Interestingly, a majority of individuals affected do not report pain, and only 5%-10% of symptomatic cases necessitate therapeutic intervention. The most common temporomandibular joint disorder manifests as pain in the masticatory muscles and is referred to as myofascial syndrome. However, articular disorders are also very common, usually due to disk displacement and degenerative or inflammatory arthropathies. Less frequently, the temporomandibular joint may be affected by a range of congenital and acquired conditions such as trauma and neoplasms. Imaging becomes necessary for the small percentage of patients who do not respond to conservative management or when there is uncertainty in the diagnosis. A comprehensive understanding of the normal imaging appearance of the temporomandibular joint as well as the wide range of potential pathologic conditions is essential for conducting an accurate radiologic assessment. Moreover, collaboration among multidisciplinary teams and the correlation of imaging findings with arthroscopic observations are crucial to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint dysfunction. ©RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Relationship Between Temporomandibular Joint Effusion, Pain, and Jaw Function Limitation: A 2D and 3D Comparative Study

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between temporomandibular joint (TMJ) effusion and TMJ pain, as well as jaw function limitation in patients via two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation.

Patients and Methods

121 patients diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) were included. TMJ effusion was assessed qualitatively using MRI and quantified with 3D Slicer software, then graded accordingly. In addition, a visual analogue scale (VAS) was employed for pain reporting and an 8-item Jaw Functional Limitations Scale (JFLS-8) was utilized to evaluate jaw function limitation. Statistical analyses were performed appropriately for group comparisons and association determination. A probability of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

2D qualitative and 3D quantitative strategies were in high agreement for TMJ effusion grades (κ = 0.766). No significant associations were found between joint effusion and TMJ pain, nor with disc displacement and JLFS-8 scores. Moreover, the binary logistic regression analysis showed significant association between sex and the presence of TMJ effusion, exhibiting an Odds Ratio of 5.168 for females (p = 0.008).

Conclusion

2D qualitative evaluation was as effective as 3D quantitative assessment for TMJ effusion diagnosis. No significant associations were found between TMJ effusion and TMJ pain, disc displacement or jaw function limitation. However, it was suggested that female patients suffering from TMD may be at a risk for TMJ effusion. Further prospective research is needed for validation.

Reconstructed magnetic resonance image-based effusion volume assessment for temporomandibular joint arthralgia

BACKGROUND

Joint effusion is often noticed in magnetic resonance image (MRI) and its diagnostic value for arthralgia of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) remains obscure.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a method for quantitatively evaluating the joint effusion revealed in MRI and its diagnostic value for arthralgia of the TMJ.

METHODS

Two-hundreds and twenty-eight TMJs, 101 with arthralgia (Group P) and 105 without (Group NP) from 103 patients, and 22 TMJs (Group CON) from 11 asymptomatic volunteers were examined by using MRI. The effusion volume was measured after constructing a three-dimensional structure of the joint effusion revealed in MRI by using the ITK-SNAP software. The diagnostic capabilities of the effusion volume on arthralgia were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

Totally 146 joints showed MRI signs of joint effusion, including nine joints from Group CON. However, the medium volume was greater in Group P (66.65 mm3 ), but was much similar in Group CON (18.33 mm3 ) to Group NP (27.12 mm3 ). The effusion volume larger than 38.20 mm3 was validated to discriminate Group P from Group NP. The AUC value was 0.801 (95% CI 0.728 to 0.874), with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 78.9%. The median volume of the joint effusion was larger in those with than without bone marrow oedema, osteoarthritis, Type-III disc configurations, disc displacement and higher signal intensity of the retrodiscal tissue (all, p < .05).

CONCLUSION

The present method for evaluate joint effusion volume well discriminated painful TMJs from non-pain ones.