The role of ultrasound imaging of temporomandibular joint condyle-disc complex disorders

ABSTRACT

Objective

This study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of ultrasonography (US) in internal derangements of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and to compare its efficacy with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

Fifty patients with MRI indications due to a TMJ disorder were enrolled. Findings of the clinical examination, US examination and MRI examination were noted by seperate clinicians and the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracies of all examinations were compared.

Results

When compared with MRI, the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the clinical examination for the internal derangements were 73%, 37%, and 70%, respectively and 75.7%, 33.3% and 73.0% for US examination, respectively.

Conclusion

US can be considered as an alternative to MRI as it can be used to detect the disc position, internal derangements, intraarticular fluid accumulations and superficial condyle changes with minimally better results than clinical examination.

KEYWORDS:

• Temporomandibular joint
• utrasonography
• magnetic resonance imaging
• diagnostic imaging

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Financial statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.