[Relationship of the articular eminence and the occlusal plane in TMJ dysfunction]

Previous cephalometric studies do not adequately evaluate or determine anatomical features that characterize patients who are affected by temporomandibular dysfunction. The findings from this research appear to document a distinct correlation between the articular eminence and the posterior occlusal plane between symptomatic or asymptomatic patients. The eminence-occlusal plane angle is statistically smaller in the dysfunctional TMJ group than in the normal TMJ group. No other distinctive features are found in conventional cephalometric measurements between the two groups. The use od the eminence-occlusal plane angle could be necessary in the orthodontic practice and in the temporomandibular management to evaluate potential or actual TMJ problems.