The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging variables of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangement, osteoarthrosis and/or effusion may predict the presence of pain in patients with a clinical disorder of an internal derangement type (ID)-III. The relationship between TMJ ID-III pain and TMJ internal derangement, osteoarthrosis and effusion was analysed in MR images of 84 TMJs in 42 patients with a clinical unilateral diagnosis of TMJ ID-III pain. Criteria for including a TMJ ID-III pain patient were report of orofacial pain referred to the TMJ, with the presence of unilateral TMJ pain during palpation, function and/or unassisted or assisted mandibular opening. Bilateral sagittal and coronal MR images were obtained to establish the presence or absence of TMJ internal derangement, osteoarthrosis and effusion. Using chi-square analysis for pair-wise comparison, the data showed a significant relationship between the MR imaging findings of TMJ ID-III pain and those of internal derangement (P=0.01) and effusion (P=0.00). Of the MR imaging variables considered simultaneously in the multiple logistic regression analysis, osteoarthrosis (P=0.82) and effusion (P=0.08) dropped out as non-significant in the diagnostic TMJ pain group when compared with the TMJ non-pain group. The odds ratio that a TMJ with an internal derangement type of disk displacement without reduction might belong to the pain group was strong (2.7:1) and highly significant (P=0.00). Significant increases in risk of TMJ pain occurred with 'disk displacement without reduction in combination with osteoarthrosis' (5.2:1) (P=0.00) and/or 'disk displacement without reduction in combination with osteoarthrosis and effusion' (6.6:1) (P=0.00). The results suggest that TMJ pain is related to internal derangement, osteoarthrosis and effusion. However, the data re-emphasize the aspect that these MR imaging variables may not be regarded as the unique and dominant factors in defining TMJ pain instances.