The clinical significance of the horizontal condylar angle in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

Ninety-one patients with unilateral temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were examined using submento-vertex projection radiography and lateral and frontal temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tomography. A comparison between clinical and radiographic findings was made to verify whether patients with TMJ osteoarthritis/osteoarthrosis (OA) tend to have high horizontal condylar angles and to determine the clinical significance of the horizontal condylar angle in the diagnosis of TMD. Our survey results did not confirm higher horizontal condylar angles in condyles with radiographic abnormal findings than in those with normal. However, significantly higher angles were observed in symptomatic TMJs with pain on movement/palpation than in those without (P < 0.05). A tendency toward higher angles was also observed in patients with other clinical findings such as TMJ sound on the symptomatic side and limitation of mouth opening, but there were no significant differences. Thus, the clinical significance of measuring the horizontal condylar angle was demonstrated. Careful diagnosis and treatment is therefore recommended with patients for whom the horizontal condylar angle is high.