Tomographic assessment of temporomandibular joint osseous articular surface contour and spatial relationships associated with disc displacement and disc length

The objective of this retrospective study was to determine whether associations exist between osseous temporomandibular joint (TMJ) characteristics and TMJ internal derangement (disc position and deformation) in an adolescent population. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to quantitatively determine disc position and length in 335 TMJs in 175 subjects (106 female and 69 male) between the ages of 7.27 and 20.0 years (mean age, 13.08 years). Nine tomographic variables were measured from pretreatment tomograms, Tomographic data were cross-referenced with MRI data. Male and female samples were evaluated separately, Stepwise linear regression identified associations between disc displacement and reduced superior joint space, increased posterior joint space, increased anterior joint space, and reduced articular eminence convexity (male R-2 value, 0.41; female R-2 value, 0.38). Associations between reduced disc length and condylar position and eminence flattening were weaker (male R-2 value, 0.16: female R-2 value, 0.32). This study demonstrates that TMJ internal derangement is associated with functional osseous adaptation within the joint.