Association between condylar asymmetry and temporomandibular disorders using 3D-CT.

Objectives: Using reconstructed three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) models, the purpose of this study was to analyze and compare mandibular condyle morphology in patients with and without temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

Study Design: Thirty-two patients were divided into two groups: the first comprised those with TMD (n=18), and the second those who did not have TMD (n=14). A CT of each patient was obtained and reconstructed as a 3D model. The 64 resulting 3D condylar models were evaluated for possible TMD-associated length, width and height asymmetries of the condylar process. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the results and student' s t tests applied to compare the two groups.

Results: Statistically significant (p<0.05) vertical, mediolateral and sagittal asymmetries of the condylar process were observed between TMD and non-TMD groups. TMD patients showed less condylar height (p<0.05) in comparison with their asymptomatic counterparts.

Conclusions: Using 3D-CT, it was shown that condylar width, height and length asymmetries were a common feature of TMD.