Angular measurements of the mandible in adults with temporomandibular joint disorders: a CBCT study

Abstract

Objectives: Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a degenerative musculoskeletal disease of unknown etiology, associatedwith morphological and functional deformities. The present study aimed to evaluate the angular parameters of the mandiblein TMD patients with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to compare with healthy controls. Methods: A total of 107 patients (54 in the TMD group and 53 in the control group) were included in the study. Ten angularmeasurements including right and left sides and 4 different length measurements were evaluated on CBCT images of bothgroups to eliminate individual differences. The differences between the two groups were examined using the significance testor Mann-Whitney U test. Multiple linear regression analysis was used for a detailed examination of the relationship betweenparameters. Results: The upper face width was significantly higher in the TMD group (p=0.004). After correcting for the upper face widthvalue, there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of the right ? angle values (p=0.001). The other differences were not significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: The decrease in the right ? angle in the TMD group can be interpreted as a result of the mechanical effect ofmasticatory muscle hyperactivity on the angular properties of the mandible in these patients.