[The value of electronic axiography in clinical functional diagnosis]

Recent years have brought an increasing number of electronic jaw-tracking devices for instrumental analysis on the market. However sophisticated they may be, their diagnostic value for temporomandibular diseases is not well supported by scientific evidence. On the other hand, "manual examination"--a very refined diagnostic means acknowledged by orthopedians and adapted to the properties of the TMJ--yields a more reliable diagnosis which fits well to MRT data. We were hereby solicited to compare the information gained by jaw-tracking and manual examination. It was found that the recorded condylar movements gave no additional, diagnostically relevant insight that went beyond the manual examination. Nevertheless, the accuracy of jaw-tracking, with regard to the visualisation of internal derangements of the TMJ, was enhanced by the techniques of manual examination.