Temporomandibular Joint Space in Skeletal Malocclusion Class II Ecuadorians: A Cone-beam Computed Tomography Study...

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the dimensions of the superior, anterior, and posterior joint spaces of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of Ecuadorian skeletal class I and II individuals without clinical signs of joint dysfunction on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), using a reformatting tool and cubic interpolation of images to reduce the size of the tomography voxel.

Forty-eight CBCT of TMJ of individuals of both sexes with no backgrounds of joint disorders were divided into two groups according to skeletal class: class I group consisting of 48 tomographic images of joints of 24 individuals with an A-point-nasion-B-point (ANB) angle (2 ± 2°), and class II group consisting of 48 tomographic images of joints of 24 individuals, with a Steiner ANB angle of more than 4°, were evaluated. The anterior joint space (AS), superior joint space (SS) and posterior joint spaces (PS) were measured by adapting the method used in a previous study. A t-student test and multiple regression analysis were applied.

The comparison of joint spaces between groups only showed significant differences in the superior posterior joint space (SS) between skeletal class I and class II (p = 0.038). Multiple linear regression showed the influence of sex on the superior joint space (SS): in women the superior joint space is 0.039 mm shorter than in men.

There is a significant difference in posterior joint space between skeletal class I and class II, and females tend to have a shorter superior joint space than males. These considerations could have an impact on clinical activity. Additionally, the voxel size reduction tool of a CBCT could be a good resource for future research where high precision measurements on computed tomography scans are required.

Identifying the condyle position in individuals with skeletal class II characteristics is crucial, as well as comparing it with class I individuals from the same and other populations. How to cite this article: Santillan-Rivera FJ, Arriola-Guillén LE, Vaca-Zapata ME, et al. Temporomandibular Joint Space in Skeletal Malocclusion Class II Ecuadorians: A Cone-beam Computed Tomography Study Using Image Reformatting and Interpolation. J Contemp Dent Pract 2025;26(5):448-452.