Condylography in TMD using the Denar Cadiax^TM

The ability to track condylar paths has been made possible with the Denar Cadiax electronic facebow. Although, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD)has been associated with non-ideal occlusal relationships eg premature contacts & non-working contacts, less is known about condylar paths in subjects with TMD.Objective:to assess condylar paths in subjects with & without TMD. Methods:to date 14 cases with TMD and 10 healthy volunteer controls have participated.Inclusion criteria;all anterior teeth present,<8 teeth absent,absence of trauma or surgery to TMJs,absence of joint disease. Those who had received treatment to TMD were excluded.The upper & lower bows were assembled as per manufacturers' instructions.The lower clutch was retained on the mandibular dentition by Provil fast set putty (Heraeus Kulzer, UK). Each subject was instructed to protrude, carry out left & right lateral excursions and open/close.Results:Mean age between the two groups was not statistically significant at 27.9yrs(6.4) for TMD & 33.2yrs (9.5)for controls.Mean left & right condylar guidance angles were 51 degrees(TMD)& 49 degrees(controls). This was not statistically different.The mean right Immediate Side Shift (ISS or Bennett angle)was not different between the two groups,whereas the mean left ISS was significantly greater (t=2.4,p=0.02)in the TMD group at 9.0'(4.2)compared to the control group (5.5(1.0)).This was not associated with the presence of non-working contacts. Conclusion:Immediate Side Shift is asymmetric in subjects with TMD.