A long-term longitudinal study of the osteoarthritic changes to the temporomandibular joint evaluated using a novel three-dimensional superimposition method.

The aim of this study was to assess the changes in individual condyles from 5 to 8 years in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis using 3-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (3D CBCT) reconstruction and superimposition. To assess the longitudinal TMJ changes, CBCT was performed at initial (T) and final (T) timepoints that were at least 5 years apart and at a middle (T) timepoint. To improve the accuracy, we used a novel superimposition method that designated areas of coronoid process and mandibular body.