Análise da morfologia da cabeça da mandíbula e do disco articular e sua relação com o deslocamento de disco da articulação temporomandibular

Abstract

The displacement of articular disc is one of the commonest disorders of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and it may cause pain, articular noise and functional limitation. Little is known, nowadays, about its etiology, however it is assumed that the articulation morphology is related to the development of this pathology. Therefore, the current study aimed at evaluating the morphology of the articular disc and the mandibular head and its relation with the TMJ disc displacement in magnetic resonance images (MRI). Hence, the magnetic resonance exams of 95 patients and 190 TMJs were evaluated. Each articulation was evaluated in regard to the morphology of the mandibular head in axial and coronal scans, to the morphology of articular disc and to the disc position. The mandibular head was divided, according to Alomar´s et al (2007) classification, into: flattened, convex, angled and rounded, in the coronal position, and A, B, C, D and E in the axial position. The disc shape was classified into biconcave, biplanar, biconvex, hemiconvex and folded. The results pointed out an average age of 39 years, being most of them female. The most prevalent displacement type was the anterior displacement with reduction. Statistical association between morphology of the mandibular head and the disc position was not observed, but association between the disc morphology and the articular disc position was. It was concluded that there is no correlation between the morphology of the mandibular head, both in axial and coronal scans, and the TMJ disk displacement. However, the morphology of the articular disc is related to its displacement.