A comparative study on the standard and individually corrected radiographs in TMJ transcranial radiography

Jung, Kyung Yong; Lee, Ky Heon; Hwang, Hyeon Shik

Abstract

Among the radiographs for temporomandibular joint, transcranial radiograph is widely used for screening and diagnosing temporomandibular disorder because it has sharp image and it is easy to take. This study was performed to compare condylar position and image sharpness in standard and individually corrected transcranial radiographs using Accurad-200 headholder. Submentovertex view, Reverse-Towne view, Standard and individually corrected transcranial radiographs of 45 university students who were randomly selected were traced, measured and analyzed. The results were as follows: 1. The means of condylar axes and lateral slopes were 16.8degrees and 22.5degrees respectively. There were no differences between male and female or right and left side. 2. Individually corrected radiographs showed smaller posterior joint space and larger anterior joint space than standard radiographs, but superior joint space did not show a statistical difference between standard and individually corrected radiographs. 3. While a large number(42.2%) of the standard radiographs showed concentric condylar position, lots of(57.8) condylar positions were retropositioned in the individually corrected radiographs. 4. The image sharpness was inferior in the individually corrected radiographs to that of the standard radiographs.