Bony deviations revealed by cone beam computed tomography of the temporomandibular joint in subjects without ongoing...

To assess the prevalence of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) bony changes in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of adult subjects without ongoing orofacial pain or complaints from the TMJ.

The study included 84 TMJs from 28 men and 14 women (mean age [± SD]: 51 ± 11 years) without orofacial pain or TMJ complaints who were participants in a study of patients with obstructive sleep apnea. They were examined before any treatment with the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders and with CBCT (NewTom VGi; 15 × 15 cm, exposure time 18 seconds, axial thickness 0.3 mm). Osseous TMJ deviations were assessed blindly and classified.

Degenerative changes were noted in the CBCT images of 33 (39.3%) of the TMJs, of which 21 were classified as osteoarthritic alterations and 12 as indeterminate changes of osteoarthritis. Two TMJs were clinically classified as osteoarthrosis and 6 as disc displacement with reduction. The CBCT images of the 2 TMJs with a clinical diagnosis of osteoarthrosis showed also bony changes, but the CBCT images also revealed osteoarthritic bony changes in the 18 TMJs without any clinical diagnosis.

CBCT images of asymptomatic adult TMJs commonly show degenerative bony alterations. Accordingly, such radiographic findings should be used with care and only as a supplement to clinical assessment.