Horizontal condylar angulation and condyle position associated with adolescent TMJ disk status

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between horizo ntal condylar angulation and position and joint status in an adolescent pop ulation. Submentovertex (SMV) radiographs and MRI (magnetic resonance image s) of 95 subjects (56 females and 39 males) between the ages of 10-17 years (mean age 13.3 years) were used for this study. Horizontal condylar angula tion as well as A-P and transverse condyle position were determined in rela tion to a cranial base reference (a line formed between the two foramina sp inosa) from SMV images. Joint status variables consisted of disk length and disk displacement measurements taken from medial, central and lateral sagi ttal MRI slices of each joint. Additional joint status variables were deriv ed through a principal component analysis which was used to calculate a sin gle disk length, disk displacement, and internal derangement variable for e ach joint. The results were: 1, No significant correlations (p = .05) were found between any of the joint status variables and horizontal condylar ang ulation; 2, Statistically significant correlations (r = .14 to,22, p = .05) were observed between certain joint status variables (anterior disk displa cement in medial and central joint slices, disk displacement variable, and TMJ internal derangement variable) and transverse condyle position; and, 3, Statistically significant correlations (r = -.22 to .25; p = .05) were obs erved between condylar angulation and both A-P and transverse condyle posit ion.