The recognition of craniomandibular disorders; condylar symmetry in relation to myogenous and arthrogenous origin of pain.

Sixty-seven per cent of the forty-three patients suffering from craniomandibular disorders (CMD) had a vertical condylar asymmetry greater than 3%. After division into two different groups, myogenous and arthrogenous origin of pain, it was found that myogenous patients were younger and showed significantly bigger asymmetry between the vertical heights of the left and right condyles, evaluated on an Orthopantomogram, than the patients with arthrogenous origin of pain (P less than 0.05). The mean vertical condylar asymmetry was 9.10% and 4.83%, respectively. It is suggested that the possible triggering morphological condylar asymmetry on the pathogenesis of a CMD should be recognized at an early stage of the disorders development. The use of a screening protocol and an Orthopantomogram could be of preventive importance in daily practice.