Assessment of radiographic morphology of mandibular condyles: a radiographic study

Prevalence of the Bifid Mandibular Condyle and Its Relationship with Pathologies of the Temporomandibular Joint: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of anatomical variants in the bifid mandibular condyle (BMC) and report its association with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathology.

METHODS

We searched the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and LILACS databases from their inception up to September 2023. Two authors independently performed the search, study selection, and data extraction, and they also assessed the methodological quality with an assurance tool for anatomical studies (AQUA). Finally, the pooled prevalence was estimated using a random effects model.

RESULTS

A total of 50 studies met the eligibility criteria. Twenty studies, with a total of 88,625 subjects, were included in the meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of the bifid mandibular condyle (BMC) variant was 1% (95% CI = 1% to 2%).

CONCLUSIONS

The correlation between the BMC and TMJ pathologies has a relatively low prevalence in studies that present a considerable number of subjects. From a clinical point of view, a direct association cannot be made between the presence of the BMC and TMJ pathologies or symptoms.

Assessment of Condylar Shape through Digital Panoramic Radiograph among Nepalese Population: A Proposal for Classification

Background

Panoramic radiograph is the first and most commonly advised radiograph for screening of temporomandibular joints/condyles. Different shapes of the mandible have been discussed by various authors with no consensus for a definite classification for condyle shape. This study was conducted with the objective to observe various shapes of condyles, symmetry of bilateral condyles, and variations of condyle shapes among males and females.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on digital panoramic radiographs available at a tertiary center of Lalitpur from 25.12.2020 to 20.06.2021 after ethical approval from the institutional review board (reference no. 077/078/27). Panoramic radiographs were selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria, and various shapes of condyles were noted on HP 15 inch flat LED monitor (1280 × 1024). The collected data was analyzed using SPSS (chi-square test: a p value of < 0.05 was considered significant). Intra- and interobserver agreement was observed for condylar shapes.

Results

Among the selected 850 panoramic radiographs (1700 condyles), most of them, i.e., 1343 (79%), were round/oval, followed by flattened, i.e., 149 (8.76%), diamond/angled, i.e., 93 (5.47%), crooked finger shaped, i.e., 28 (1.6%), and mixed, i.e., 46 (2.7%), and the least common shape observed was bifid, i.e., 40 (2.3%) (18 (2.1%) left condyle and 22 (2.6%) right condyle).

Conclusions

Six different types of condyle shapes were noted: type I, oval; type II, flat; type III, diamond; type IV, mixed; type V, bifid; and type VI, crooked finger among the study population of Lalitpur.

Oval Type of Human Mandibular Condyle in Panoramic Radiographs of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Introduction

Mandibular condyle is a prominent structure in the mandible, which forms the temporomandibular joint. An oval-shaped condyle is considered to be present with a normal temporomandibular joint and any morphological variation of the condyle is assumed to be pathologic in temporomandibular disorders. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of oval shaped mandibular condyle among orthopantomogram radiographs of patients visiting the tertiary care centre.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed among 752 condyles visiting a tertiary care center from November 29, 2021 to April 1, 2022. The ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 184 (6-11) 078/079) before conducting the study. Convenience sampling was done. The radiographs were first examined and the observed morphological type of mandibular condyle was noted. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data.

Results

The prevalence of oval shaped mandibular condyles out of 752 condyles was 416 (55.32%) (51.77-58.87 at 95% Confidence Interval). The oval-shaped condyle on the right side was 205 (54.52%) and on the left side was 211 (56.12%).

Conclusions

The prevalence of oval shaped condyles among patients in this study was similar to the studies done in similar settings.

Keywords

condyle; mandible; Nepal; X-ray.