Assessment of Mandibular Condylar Morphological Variations Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: The mandibular condyle is a key of the temporomandibular joint component and the mandible's primary growth center. Although individual variations in condylar shapes are well recognized, the application of existing morphological classifications to clinical relationships remains limited. This study aims to determine the prevalence of mandibular condyle morphologies based on existing classifications using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to evaluate their relationships with sex, malocclusion, orthognathic surgery, and edentulism. Material and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted with a total of 182 patients (122 females, 60 males), with an average age of 26.31±4.61 years. The relationships between condylar morphology and factors such as gender, edentulism, malocclusion (skeletal Class I, II, III), and a history of orthognathic surgery were investigated. Condylar morphology and edentulism were evaluated using CBCT. The skeletal status of the jaws was determined using lateral cephalometric images analyzed with Steiner analysis through the WebCeph program. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 28.0 software. Results: The most commonly observed condyle morphology was convex, found in 35.6% on the right side and 42.9% on the left. This was followed by the angled type, observed in 29.1% on the right and 22.5% on the left. No statistically significant relationship was found between condyle morphology and gender, edentulism, or malocclusion (p>0.05). However, a statistically significant relationship was found between condyle morphology and history of orthognathic surgery (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study evaluated the distribution of mandibular condyle morphologies based on existing classifications using CBCT and demonstrated that a history of orthognathic surgery may influence condylar morphology.