Morphologic Analysis of Condyle among Different Disc Status in the Temporomandibular Joints by Three-dimensional Reconstructive Imaging: A Preliminary Study

Objectives Morphological study is a common approach in the field of anterior disc displacement (ADD) pathology; however, analysis based on three-dimensional reconstructive imaging has not been investigated. This study investigated the association between ADD and the status of the mandibular condyle and articular fossa. Methods Thirty-four patients were divided into three groups: normal articular disc position (NADP), anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDwR), and anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDwoR). Multiple grouped comparisons of three different disc statuses were performed by Kruskal–Wallis H test and variance analysis respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic curve was plotted to assess the diagnostic efficacy of the morphological parameters. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the interfering factors of ADD. Results The condylar volume (CV) and condylar superficial area (CSA) in the NADP, ADDwR, and ADDwoR groups exhibited obvious changes ( P < 0.05). Both CV and superior joint space (SJS) presented a good diagnostic accuracy for NADP-ADDwoR [area under the curve (AUC) CV = 0.813; AUC SJS = 0.855)], and ADDwR-ADDwoR (AUC CV = 0.858; AUC SJS = 0.801). CSA presented a good diagnostic accuracy for ADDwR-ADDwoR (AUC = 0.813). A multivariate logistic ordinal regression model showed that the CV [odds ratio (OR) = 1.011; regression coefficient ( RC ) = 0.011, P = 0.018], SJS (OR, 8.817; RC = 2.177; P < 0.001), and medial joint space (MJS) (OR, 1.492; RC = 0.400; P = 0.047) had a significantly impact on the groups. Conclusion CV, CSA, SJS, and MJS were significantly associated with the different disc status, and the condyle in ADD exhibited 3-dimensionally altered dimensions. They could be considered as promising biometric markers to assess the ADD.