Radiographic changes in the temporomandibular joint in patients with generalized osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

This is the first study concerned with radiographic characteristics in patients with generalized osteoarthritis and signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint involvement. For comparison, patients with rheumatoid arthritis and temporomandibular joint involvement were used. The patient material comprised 20 patients with generalized osteoarthritis (20 joints) and 21 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (21 joints). The radiographic methods were corrected sagittal tomography (hard tissue changes, joint space, and condylar position), frontal tomography (hard tissue changes), and individualized oblique lateral transcranial projections (condylar translation). Sixteen (80%) joints in the group of patients with generalized osteoarthritis and 15 (71%) joints in the group with rheumatoid arthritis revealed structural changes. The condyle was the predominant location. No radiographic criterion was pathognomonic for generalized osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. However, osteophytes, flattening of the condyle, or a reduced joint space was observed more often in joints with generalized osteoarthritis, whereas erosions in the condyle were more common in joints with rheumatoid arthritis. The radiographic findings in patients with generalized osteoarthritis are more similar to those seen in patients who have the common form of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis than to those in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.