Subjective analysis of the application of enhancement filters on magnetic resonance imaging of the temporomandibular joint.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of enhancement filters on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

STUDY

DESIGN

In total, 66 MRI scans of the TMJ were analyzed without filtration and with the application of 2 filters: Sharpen 1 and Sharpen 2 (OnDemand software). Two dentomaxillofacial radiologists examined the original and filtered images individually. Intra- and interobserver concordance was measured by using generalized estimating equations. The observers evaluated the subjective image quality and the visibility of 3 components of the TMJ: disk, condyle, and articular eminence. The images were ranked on a 4-point scale, from poor to excellent. The image quality of all filtered images was compared by using the χ2 test and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

Intra- and interobserver concordance was good. The images filtered with Sharpen 1 and Sharpen 2 provided better definition of the structures compared with nonfiltered images, providing the highest scores for subjective image quality for all structures (P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of enhancement filters led to improved subjective quality and may improve the diagnostic efficacy of MRI in TMJ evaluation.