Evalutation of the Condylar Position in the Lateral Transcranial Projection for the Patients with Disc Displacements of the Temporomandibular Joint

측두하악관절원판변위 환자에서 나타나는 측방횡두개방사선사진상의 과두위치에 대한 평가

The author assessed the sagittal relationships between glenoid fossa of the temporal bone and mandibular condyle from lateral transcranial views of 74 TMJ with disc displacement and 16 TMJ with normal disc-condyle complex by the magnetic resonance image findings. All the subjects were female and also in their 3rd decades. The disc displacement group was subdivided into anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADWR) group and anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADWOR) group. The anterior, superior, and posterior joint spaces as well as anterior/posterior (A/P) ratio of the space at the closed jaw position and vertical and horizontal components of the condyle position relative to the articular eminence at the open jaw position were measured from all the subjects and the data were compared among groups. The result were as follows : 1. The mean posterior joint space of ADWR group was smaller than ADWOR group, but there were no significant differences in anterior and superior joint spaces between two groups. 2. There showed a tendency of higher A/P ratio in ADWR group which meant the condyle of ADWR was likely to take posteriorly displaced position. 3. There were higher proportion of neutral condylar position in glenoid fossa in normal group, but higher proportion of posterior condylar position in ADWR group. 4. There were no significant differences in the degree of condyle-fossa concentricity among groups.