Clinical and radiographic features of temporomandibular joint in patients with facial asymmetry.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of mandibular head morphology and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders (TMDs) on the deviation side (DS) and non-deviation side (NDS) in patients with facial asymmetry (FA).

METHODS

Thirty patients diagnosed with FA were enrolled. Preoperative and postoperative joint sound and pain were evaluated in terms of clinical symptoms, and pre- and postoperative mandibular head morphology factors shown by computed tomography. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging findings were used to evaluate preoperative joint disc position and joint effusion (JE).

RESULTS

The patients included 12 (40.0%) males and 18 (60.0%) females, with a mean age of 25.8 years. There were no significant differences regarding clinical symptoms between patients affected on the DS and those on the NDS. Preoperatively, the DS group showed a total of 4 joints (13.3%) with mandibular condyle head deformity, while postoperatively those patients had 13 (43.3%) and the NDS group 2 (6.7%), indicating a significant difference for condyle head deformity between patients affected on DS and NDS before and after surgery. The score for JE was 1.1 ± 1.0 in the DS group and 0.6 ± 0.8 in the NDS group, a significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

As compared to the NDS, the DS in the present class III patients with FA showed a greater number of TMDs, such as condyle head deformity, disc displacement, and JE. It's important for surgeons and orthodontists to be aware of the possibility of TMDs on the DS in class III patients with FA when performing orthognathic surgery.