Condylar Morphology in Patients with Unilateral Maxillary Impacted Canines: A Panoramic Radiography Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between unilateral maxillary impacted canines (UMIC) and condylar morphology by comparing ipsilateral and contralateral condyles within affected individuals using panoramic radiography.

This retrospective cross-sectional study included 364 patients with UMIC (169 with impacted right canines and 195 with impacted left canines). Panoramic radiographs were used to evaluate mandibular condylar morphology. Condyles were classified into four categories (round, angled, flat, and pointed) and additionally dichotomized as round or non-round for binary comparisons. Paired ipsilateral and contralateral comparisons were performed using McNemar's test for binary outcomes with analyses stratified by age (<20 and ≥20 years). Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

Age-stratified McNemar analyses demonstrated no statistically significant side-related differences in binary condylar morphology (round vs. non-round) between ipsilateral and contralateral sides of the patients (p>0.05). Descriptive evaluations showed that round condylar morphology was less prevalent in patients aged ≥20 years, whereas angled and pointed morphologies were more frequently observed compared to those aged <20 years, on both the ipsilateral and contralateral sides.

Based on the present findings, UMIC alone does not appear to be associated with side-specific differences in condylar morphology. Further studies using advanced three-dimensional imaging techniques are needed to better characterize condylar morphology.