Comparison of reference points in different methods of temporomandibular joint imaging

Is There an Association between Temporomandibular Disorders and Articular Eminence Inclination? A Systematic Review

(1) Background: In order to determine the correlation between the inclination of articular eminence (AEI) and the development of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), a systematic review was performed. (2) Methods: A systematic literature research was conducted between 1946 and January 2020, based on the following electronic databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, Scope, SciELO, and Lilacs. Observational studies, analytical case-control studies, and cohort studies written in English were identified. The articles were selected and analyzed by two authors independently. The PICO format was used to analyze the studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to verify the quality of the evidence. (3) Results: Sixteen articles were included in this review, ten case-control studies and six cohort studies. Eight articles (50%) established a positive relation between AEI and TMDs and eight (50%) did not. The scientific quality was medium-low, mainly influenced by the exposure to the risk of bias and the lack of clinical methods with adequate consistency and sensitivity on the diagnosis of TMDs. (4) Conclusions: It is controversial to establish a causal relationship between the TMDs and the AEI in the field of stomatology, due to limited and inconclusive evidence. However, it is suggested that the AEI defined by some specific methods may be associated with some special pathological stages of TMDs. High-quality prospective studies are required to draw any definitive conclusions.

Correlation between temporomandibular joint morphometric measurements and gender, disk position, and condylar position

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to correlate the morphometric measurements of the temporomandibular joint, including condylar size, joint space, and articular eminence size, with gender, disk position, and condylar position by using magnetic resonance imaging.

STUDY DESIGN

Overall, 93 patients were evaluated (31.2% males and 68.8% females; age 18-81 years; mean age 41 years). Condylar size (D1), joint space (D2), and eminence size (D3) were measured. Correlations with gender, disk position, and condylar position were calculated.

RESULTS

A statistically significant correlation was found between D2 and gender, with the joint space being significantly larger in the male group (P = .05). There were correlations between D2 and the position of the disk and the position of the condyle (P ≤ .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate a correlation between male gender and larger joint space. In addition, we found that the joint space size influences the articular disk and condyle position, which can cause disk displacement.

Application of fused image in detecting abnormalities of temporomandibular joint

OBJECTIVES:

To present a method for image fusion of cone beam CT (CBCT)/CT and MRI and to explore whether the image data sets fused in such a way could aid the detection of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anatomical structures and lesions.

METHODS:

There were five cases included in this study. One case was space occupying lesion giant cell tumour of tendon sheaths, one case was chronic inflammation in the condyle, one case was articular disc calcification of the bilateral TMJs, and the other two cases were TMJ disorders (anterior disc displacement without reduction). The digital imaging and communications in medicine format data of CT/CBCT and MRI of the cases were collected, and then imported to the Amira visual software where the registration process was conducted. Based on the different scan model, the registration process could be separated into automatic registration of CT/CBCT with quadrature slice MR images and the semi-automatic registration of CT/CBCT with oblique slice MR images by altering the registration parameters. Rigid transform model and the similarity metric of normalization mutual information was used for registration in the present study.

RESULTS:

The relationship between the soft mass and hard tissue was shown clearly in the fused images when compared to sole observation of CBCT/CT or MR images. The fused images could define the tumour outline and the destructive bone clearly in the same image. The fused results helped the observers to ensure uncertain defects which could not be confirmed only by one image data set.

CONCLUSIONS:

The CT/CBCT and MR images could be fused to aid detection of TMJ anatomical structures and related lesions.

Assessment of condyle position, fossa morphology, and disk displacement in symptomatic patients

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to determine whether there are any associations between the morphology of the glenoid fossa, articular spaces, and disk displacement by evaluating the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of symptomatic patients. Gender and age were also evaluated for any effect on the parameters.

STUDY DESIGN

MRI scans of 199 temporomandibular joints were assessed for the morphology of the glenoid fossa and articular spaces in both sagittal and coronal views. The presence of disk displacement and its type in closed-mouth and open-mouth positions were also assessed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey, and Student t tests or Mann-Whitney rank sum tests were used to investigate the associations among these variables.

RESULTS

A total of 113 joints (56.8%) were presented with disk displacement. The articular spaces observed in sagittal and coronal views were, overall, significantly larger in males than in females in 3 of the 6 spaces (superior, posterior, and central spaces). Larger superior and medial articular spaces were associated with angled glenoid fossae. Higher mean values of the articular space sizes were associated with normal disk position (P < .001), except for the anterior articular space. When displacement was identified, higher values of the articular space sizes were also associated with disk reduction in the open-mouth position (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Condyles in the central position in the coronal view and slightly anteriorly positioned in the sagittal view are less likely to present disk displacement.