Abstract
The present study was designed to analyze the three-dimensional condylar position in untreated orthodontic patients with malocclusion, and further to investigate the association between the condylar position and craniof acial morphology.
Fifty untreated orthodontic patients without TMD (20 males and 30 females, age 7-15 Y) were selected as subjects. Seven-layered tomograms of the TMJs and lateral cephalograms were taken of the subjects before treatment. By use of a series of tomograms, the shortest distances between the condyle and the glenoid fossa (Condyle to Glenoid Fossa Distance, CGFD) were calculated in five areas, i.e. anterior, posterior, middle, lateral and medial areas, and then the ratio of the anterior CGFD to posterior one (A/P ratio) and ratio of lateral CGFD to the medial one (L/M ratio) were calculated. Further, the correlation coefficient between these data and cephalometric analysis data was calculated.
The following results were obtained. No significant differences in the CGFDs were found between the three groups. However, a significant difference in the A/P ratio was found between the skeletal 1 and 2 groups. Further, positive correlation between the posterior CGFD and Gonial angle, and negative correlations between the middle and posterior CGFDs and Ramus pl. to FH angle were significantly found at the 5% level of confidence.
