Morphometric Assessment of Temporomandibular Joint Space in Dentate and Edentulous Patients by Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography.

AIM

This study aimed to determine the changes in the temporomandibular joint due to ethnicity and to reveal gender differences.

METHODS

This retrospective study included the evaluation of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 110 patients (220 temporomandibular joint {TMJs}), 64 dentulous (32 females, 32 males) and 46 edentulous (18 females, 28 males). Anterior, superior, and posterior joint spaces and the roof of the glenoid fossa (GF) were measured in sagittal views. Shapiro-Wilk test, independent sample t-test, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to determine significant differences between dentulous and edentulous patients.

RESULTS

The difference in terms of anterior and posterior joint space was statistically significant (p=0.005, p˂0.001). However, no statistically significant difference was found in the upper joint space (p=0.227). A statistically significant difference was not found in GF roof thickness (p=0.229).

CONCLUSIONS

Upper joint space and GF roof thickness were not associated with edentulism. However, this situation is directly related to both posterior and anterior joint spaces, and this relationship manifests itself as a decrease in the posterior joint space and an increase in the anterior joint space with edentulism.