Diagnostic capacity of magnetic resonance imaging in studying dysplastic-dependent pathology of temporomandibular joint

Abstract

Aim of study. To study the relationships between the intra-articular elements of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), masticatory muscles in patients with occlusion anomalies and undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia syndrome (UCTD) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Material and methods. From patients with distal occlusion (DO) of the dental arches, muscular-articular dysfunction of the TMJ, phenotypic signs of UCTD, groups with "mild" (Group 1) and "moderate", "pronounced" (Group 2) severity of UCTD were formed. MRI of both TMJs was performed with a study of the state of bone and soft tissue structures, as well as an assessment of intra-articular relationships in various positions of the lower jaw. Results. The features of MRI semiotics in patients of the 1st group are the initial signs of secondary osteoarthritis (21.2% of cases), partial disc ventral dislocation with its complete reposition (100%), excessive excursion of the articular head (24.2%), and asymmetric thickening of the masticatory muscles (63.6%) with no fibrous changes. In patients of the 2nd group, in comparison with the 1st group, pronounced destructive-degenerative processes in the TMJ were diagnosed, and the increase in the incidence of changes in the bone structures of the TMJ was 1.2-7.4 times (p≤0.05), in soft tissue elements – 2.1–3.0 times (p≤0.05). Conclusion. Patients with malocclusion against the background of UCTD syndrome have a wide range of morphofunctional disorders with a tendency to increase with increasing severity of the dysplastic process. When diagnosing patients with occlusion anomalies, it is advisable to identify the accumulation of phenotypic signs of UCTD to predict the development of "severe" forms of muscle-articular dysfunction of the TMJ.