THE CONDYLAR ASYMMETRY-AGE RELATIONSHIP IN DETERMINING MYOGENOUS OR ARTHROGENOUS ORIGIN OF PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS

The relation of age to asymmetry index of the condyles of the temporom andibular joint differs for groups of patients with a myogenous and ar throgenous origin of pain. it was decided to investigate if this has c linical diagnostic significance. Twenty-eight patients complaining of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were included in this study. All wer e dentate with a maximum of five missing teeth including third molars allowed. Condylar asymmetry was measured according to the method of Ha bets, and this was used to compute the expected patient age for both c urves. The patient was assigned to the group with computed age closest to true age. The association between category derived from graphs and that from clinical diagnosis was studied. There was agreement clinica lly and graphically in 25 of 28 patients. The Kappa statistic to explo re the agreement between the two methods gave a value of 0.78, which a llows rejection of the hypothesis that agreement was based on chance a lone.