Positional and morphologic changes of the temporomandibular joint disc using magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose: To evaluate displacement and morphologic changes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc in patient with internal derangement using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: One hundred and forty five MR images of TMJs in 73 patients were evaluated. Positional and morphologic changes of the TMJ discs were assessed. Lateral or medial disc displacement was also evaluated on coronal images. Results: Among 63 discs with anterior disc displacement, 37 discs were assessed as a biconcave disc and 21 as a deformed disc. Rotational disc displacement was observed in 35 discs. Anteromedial disc displacement was observed in 29 discs, and anterolateral direction in 6 discs. Among 35 rotational displacement, 5 biconcave discs and 21 deformed discs were observed. Conclusion : Rotational and sideways displacement of TMJ discs were found to be common and an important aspect of internal derangement. This study also suggests that sagittal and coronal images of the TMJ have complementary abilities for an assessment of joint abnormality.