Effect of temporomandibular joint Osteoarthritis on mean gray value and fractal dimension of the condyle.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the Fractal Dimension (FD) and Mean Gray Value (MGV) changes caused by TMJ-OA on Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images.

METHODS

Ninety patients were divided into three groups: Control group (bilateral unaffected joints), Unilateral group (one affected joint), and Bilateral group (bilaterally affected joints). Histogram Analysis (HA) and Fractal Analysis (FA) were performed on coronal slices of the condyles. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference between the groups, and also total affected and total unaffected condyles in terms of both MGV and FD (p>0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between MGV and FD of the unaffected condyles in the Control and Unilateral groups (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Both MGV and FD of the unaffected condyles in the Unilateral group were significantly different from those in the Control group indicates that these patients may be potentially at risk for TMJ-OA in the advanced stage.