Mandibular condylar dimensions: Correlation between 3D tomography and dried skull measurements

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• Accurate measurement of mandibular condyle dimensions is crucial for diagnosing and treating various temporomandibular joint disorders.
• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a widely used imaging modality in dentistry, but its accuracy in measuring specific anatomical structures requires validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare direct anatomical measurements of mandibular condyles from dry skulls with corresponding measurements obtained using CBCT.
• To evaluate the reliability and potential biases of CBCT in assessing mandibular condyle dimensions (width and length) across different sexes.

Main Methods:

• Four key landmarks on the mandibular condyles of dry skulls were identified.
• Direct measurements of condyle width (RW, LW) and length (RL, LL) were taken from the dry skulls.
• Corresponding measurements were obtained using CBCT imaging, and the data were statistically analyzed to compare direct and CBCT measurements, considering sex differences.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences in mandibular condyle dimensions were observed between sexes (p < 0.001) in direct measurements.
• A magnitude-dependent bias was noted when comparing CBCT measurements to direct measurements, with underestimation for smaller values and overestimation for larger values.
• CBCT measurements showed a greater degree of reliability for condyle length compared to condyle width.

Conclusions:

• CBCT is a reliable imaging modality for assessing mandibular condyle dimensions.
• While CBCT is generally reliable, direct measurements of condyle length appear to be more accurate than width measurements when validated against physical specimens.
• The findings suggest careful consideration of potential measurement biases when interpreting CBCT-derived condyle dimensions, particularly for width.