S G Messing | PubMed Health

PubMed1986

Splint therapy evaluation with direct sagittal computed tomography.

Splint therapy is often the initial nonsurgical treatment selected to manage patients who have anterior displacement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) meniscus. It is usually effective if the splint restores normal meniscocondylar relationships. An accurate method for assessing meniscocondylar relationships by means of direct sagittal computed tomography (CT) is described. The precise protocol for this noninvasive CT method and the criteria used to interpret the CT images are presented.

Cartilage, Articular↗

PubMed1985

Internal derangements of the temporomandibular joint evaluated with direct sagittal CT: a prospective study.

Direct sagittal computed tomography (CT) was performed in 454 patients thought to have internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Of 905 joints examined, 71 were subsequently studied using arthrography and/or surgery. Sensitivity was 91.8%, accuracy 87.3%, and the positive predictive value 93.3%. Degenerative joint disease was detected in 33.6% of joints with anterior meniscal displacement but no reduction, 15.3% of those with displacement and reduction, and 5.0% of those with no identifiable meniscal abnormality. It is concluded that direct sagittal CT is a sensitive and effective method of detecting and characterizing displacement of the TMJ meniscus as well as underlying degenerative joint disease.

Arthrography↗