Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 29, 2025
Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Signs, Symptoms, and Morphological Features of Idiopathic Condylar Resorption in Orthodontic Patients: A Survey-Based
1Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan.
Background:
Idiopathic condylar resorption (ICR) is an aggressive degenerative disease of the temporomandibular joint that is most frequently observed in teenage girls. However, no specific cause of ICR has been identified. To explore the specific causes of the onset and progression of ICR, we performed a survey-based study on ICR in orthodontic patients and described its subjective symptoms, clinical signs, and condylar morphological features.
Methods:
A total of 1735 participants were recruited from 2193 orthodontic patients. For each participant, subjective symptoms and clinical signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) were evaluated through clinical examination and a questionnaire. Furthermore, three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) was performed to diagnose ICR.
Results:
Among the 1735 patients evaluated, ICR was present in two male and ten female patients. All 12 patients had maxillary protrusion and an anterior open bite. Four patients with ICR underwent orthodontic treatment. Based on CT findings, patients with ICR had significantly different condylar sizes and shapes from patients with TMDs alone.
Conclusions:
The coexistence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as sex-hormone imbalance and a history of orthodontic treatment, might lead to the onset of ICR. We suggest that growing patients suspected of having ICR should undergo CT evaluation because CT findings may precede clinical symptoms and signs.
