Association between TMD signs and symptoms, condyle alterations and joint effusion: an MRI retrospective study

This study aimed to assess whether signs, symptoms, and condylar changes are associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) effusion. An observational, cross-sectional, retrospective study was carried out on 1,182 TMJ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 591 patients. Images of patients who underwent MRIs of the temporomandibular joints were included. The MRIs were obtained from the records of a private radiology clinic and were acquired in 2018. Two calibrated observers assessed effusion and condylar changes. The evaluated signs and symptoms were joint pain, crepitation, clicking, irregular mouth opening movement, and limited mouth opening. Descriptive statistics were performed, followed by unadjusted and adjusted binary logistic regression analyses to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI), with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. The analysis of the variables was performed using the individual as the unit of grouping, with clustered robust standard errors (using the Huber-White estimator) adjusted at the patient level. The prevalence of effusion was over 51% in the studied sample (51.6% right TMJ; 52.8% left TMJ). The most prevalent condylar alterations were condylar erosion and limited condyle width. In the final model, patients aged 50 to 59 years (OR: 2.54; 95%CI: 1.17-5.50), those with clicking (OR: 1.59; 95%CI: 1.07-2.37) and those with condylar erosion (OR: 2.84; 95%CI: 1.56-5.28) were more likely to have joint effusion. It is concluded that joint effusion has a high prevalence in individuals aged 50-59 years, followed by those aged 20 to 29 years, and may be associated with the presence of clicking and condylar erosion.