Longitudinal evaluation of condylar position in extraction and nonextraction treatment

In 111 patients pretreatment and posttreatment condylar position was evaluated with corrected tomograms taken with the mandible in centric occlusion. Seventy-nine of the patients were treated by nonextraction procedures and 32 were treated by extraction procedures, 27 of the patients with the extraction of one or more premolars and 5 with the extraction of one or more anterior teeth. When the condylar positions before and after treatment were compared in the entire sample of 111 patients, in the nonextraction patients, in the extraction patients, and in extraction patients relative to nonextraction patients, no statistically significant differences were found. Thus condylar position was stable during treatment and did not behave differently under extraction and nonextraction conditions. On an individual basis, condylar retropositioning, as defined in this study, occurred in only nine of the 222 joints examined and was noted in patients treated both with and without extraction.