[Relationship between condylar atrophy and tooth loss in stomatognathic dysfunction]

In our previous study, we concluded normal subjects did not present an abnormal morphology of condyle, while 30% of stomatognathic dysfunction patients revealed abnormality, and especially about 20% presented atrophy. In this study, we selected 146 patients with stomatognathic dysfunction and analysed patients with atrophy in condyle comparing patients without atrophy. We obtained following results. 1. 37 patients (25%) with dysfunction showed atrophy in condyle. Among them, 15 patients showed bilateral atrophy, and 22 showed unilaterally. 2. Among 22 patients with unilateral atrophy in condyle, 15 patients (68%) showed correspondence between symptomatic side and atrophy side. 3. Among 37 patients with atrophy in condyles, 30 patients (81%) showed organic changes in TMJ components. 4. Mean age of atrophy (+) group was significantly younger than that of atrophy (-) group. 5. No significant relationship was observed between the distinction of sex and atrophy existence in condyle. 6. Significant relationship was observed between loss of lower first molar and atrophy existence in condyle. Most of the patients of atrophy (+) group lost their lower first molars in growth period of TMJ components from mixed dentition through puberty and left them without restoration.