RADIOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS IN MANDIBULAR CONDYLES OF ORTHODONTIC PATIENTS BEFORE TREATMENT

Pretreatment panoramic radiographs and patient files of 625 orthodonti c 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 condyle s and malocclusions. Radiographic characteristics in the mandibular co ndyle 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 statisticall y significant differences between orthodontic patients before treatmen t and normal population controls (n=410, 229 males and 181 females, me an 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 relations hip was the only type of morphological malocclusion associated (P<0.05 ) with condylar characteristics. The means of several cephalometric me asurements in the children with condylar characteristics were close to those of children with harmonious skeletal relationships.