Oral Radiol. 2026 May 2. doi: 10.1007/s11282-026-00926-6. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of degenerative bony changes of the mandibular condyle and their associations with age, gender, and joint laterality.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: CBCT scans of 112 temporomandibular joints of 56 clinically symptomatic patients were included based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Degenerative changes, including erosion, flattening, osteophytes, subchondral sclerosis, and subcortical pseudocysts, were assessed for their presence, frequency, and demographic associations using the Chi-square test, McNemar test, Spearman’s correlation analysis, and Cohen’s kappa statistics.
RESULTS: Erosion was the most prevalent finding (84.8%) and frequently coexisted with flattening. Subcortical pseudocyst showed a positive association with increasing age (p < 0.05), osteophytes were more commonly observed in males (p < 0.01), and subchondral sclerosis occurred more frequently on the left side (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Symptomatic TMJs demonstrated at least one degenerative change, where Erosion was the most prevalent, and subcortical pseudocyst was the least common degenerative change in the mandibular condyle. Age, gender, and joint side showed associations with specific changes.
PMID:42070001 | DOI:10.1007/s11282-026-00926-6
