Prevalence of temporomandibular joint disk displacement in infants and young children

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of tem poromandibular joint disk displacement in infants and young children. Study design. Magnetic resonance images were obtained of the temporomandibu lar joints in 30 infants and young children ranging in age from 2 months to 5 years (median age, 3 years; mean age, 2.5 years). Results. All joints had normal superior disk position. The computed 95% con fidence interval was 0.00-0.06, which implies a minimal probability that di sk displacement would occur in this age group. Conclusions. The result contradicts previous suggestions that temporomandib ular joint disk displacement could represent a congenital normal anatomic v ariant.