Predictive value of magnetic resonance imaging of disc displacement for temporomandibular disorder signs and symptoms in a pre-orthodontic adolescent patient population

The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the predictive value of quantitative MRI disc displacement for changes of TMD signs and symptoms in a pre-orthodontic adolescent patient sample.;Our analysis revealed that MRI right disc displacement has significant association with changes of ipsilateral joint locking. However, predictive value of disc displacement for changes of joint locking could not be analyzed due to small sample size. Nevertheless, MRI right disc displacement can distinguish subjects with persistent ipsilateral clicking from those who were persistently free of clicking from T1 to T2. These findings indicate that clinical assessment of right joint clicking is consistent with MRI determination of disc displacement.;The sample consisted of fifty-five adolescent patients who had baseline temporomandibular joint MRI and longitudinal clinical records of TMD signs and symptoms. Thirty-eight were females and seventeen were males. The mean age was 12.9 +/-1.6 years (range 7.4-16.6).