3-D sonography for diagnosis of osteoarthrosis and disk degeneration of the temporomandibular joint, compared with MRI

This study determined the value of three-dimensional (3-D) sonography for the assessment of osteoarthrosis and disk degeneration of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Sixty-eight patients (136 TMJ) with clinical dysfunction were examined by 272 sonographic 3-D scans. An 8- to 12.5-MHz motor-angulated transducer positioned inferior-parallel to the zygomatic arch scanned the region-of-interest. 3-D condylar morphology was compared with subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fifty-three datasets were complete, i.e., 106 TMJ, 212 examinations. 3-D sonographic examination took 5 min and attained 70% sensitivity/76% specificity/75% accuracy; positive predictive value was 44%%; negative predictive value was 90%. Disk degeneration was diagnosed synonymously with 64%/73%/71%/42%/ 87%. 3-D sonography proved to be reliable for exclusion of osteoarthrosis as disk degeneration compared with MRI, whereas the presence of osteoarthrosis and disk dislocation cannot be reliably diagnosed. Prospective use will include routine screening, using more sophisticated equipment with higher frequency in real-time 3-D viewing. (E-mail: c.landes@lycos.com)