Radiographic characteristics in mandibular condyles of orthodontic patients before treatment.

Pretreatment panoramic radiographs and patient files of 625 orthodontic patients (269 males and 356 females), aged 4-15.9 years (mean 11.0, SD 1.7) were evaluated with special emphasis on the mandibular condyles and malocclusions. Radiographic characteristics in the mandibular condyle were seen in 14 children (2.2 per cent), comprising six boys (2.2 per cent) and eight girls (2.3 per cent). There were no statistically significant differences between orthodontic patients before treatment and normal population controls (n = 410,229 males and 181 females, mean age 11.4 years, SD 1.8). No statistically significant difference in the frequency of condylar characteristics was found between younger (under 12) and older (over 12) children. Angle Class II molar relationship was the only type of morphological malocclusion associated (P < 0.05) with condylar characteristics. The means of several cephalometric measurements in the children with condylar characteristics were close to those of children with harmonious skeletal relationships.