Disk displacement and temporomandibular joint symptoms in orthognathic surgery patients

The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence of disk displacement and temporomandibular joint symptoms in orthognathic surgery patients. Fifty-three consecutive patients with different types of dentofacial anomalies were examined clinically and with bilateral arthrography. Disk displacement unilaterally or bilaterally was found in 57% of the patients or 46% of the joints. Displacement with reduction was seen in 38 joints, and displacement without reduction was seen in 11 joints. Fifty-three percent of the patients had pain in the temporomandibular joint or masticatory muscles, 30% of the joints demonstrated clicking, and 4% had crepitation. No association was found between disk displacement and clinical symptoms except for an association between clicking and anterior disk displacement with reduction. Neither could an association between disk displacement and the type of dentofacial anomaly be appreciated. It was concluded that disk displacement was frequent in patients with dentofacial anomalies, but no relationship to temporomandibular joint symptoms and the type of dentofacial anomaly could be clearly demonstrated.