Prevalence and distribution of degenerative signs in ATM condyle in panoramic radiographs in a Chilean population

Abstract

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), like all joints, is affected by inflammatory or degenerative diseases, traumatisms, malformations, infections, cysts and tumors. Osteoarthrosis (OA) is the most common degenerative disease of the joints of the human body, including the temporomandibular joint. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of imaging signs of degenerative disorders in the TMJ condyle, present in digital panoramic radiographs in Chilean population. A cross-sectional study was conducted using 651 radiographs of adult individuals. The presence of the following imaging signs of osteoarthrosis was recorded: sclerosis,cortical loss, erosion, osteophytes and endochondral cysts. The prevalence of radiographic signs of OA was 35 % (n = 230); where 50 % of the individuals with signs of OA were older than 50 years, while the difference was distributed homogeneously in the different age ranges. The most prevalent sign was osteophyte (25 %) and cortical loss was the least observed (3 %). In addition, sclerosis presented a prevalence of 6 %, erosion of 4 % and endochondral cysts of 6 %. On the other hand, the frequency of signs observed in men was greater, detecting an increase in direct relation with age independent of sex. The data of this study allows us to conclude that the prevalence of OA in the studied population was 35 % with a higher representation in men and older people. Both the value of the prevalence of OA and that corresponding to each sign are affected by the modality of radiographic analysis and methodological considerations.