Solid-state temporomandibular joint imaging: accuracy in detecting osseous changes of degenerative joint disease and determining condylar spatial relations.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the off-label use of an intraoral charge-coupled device (CCD) for extraoral transcranial radiography of the temporomandibular joint. Corrected linear tomograms and transcranial images made with conventional screen-film combinations and a CCD detector were compared with sectioned cadaver specimens. Radiation dosage, qualitative assessment of condylar degenerative features, and condylar position within the glenoid fossa of the 3 modalities were assessed and compared. The CCD method required special adjustments to achieve adequate quality, and it involved greater exposure than the other methods. This use of this intraoral system for extraoral imaging cannot now be recommended, but future refinements might make it more viable.