MRI findings in individuals with temporomandibular disorders

OBJECTIVE: This study describes MRI characteristics of TMD patients and explores their correlation with clinical symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-three patients (186 TMJs) diagnosed with TMD per DC/TMD criteria were enrolled. Clinical symptoms (clicking, pain, limited mouth opening <40mm) were assessed. Bilateral TMJ MRI was performed. Two blinded radiologists evaluated disc position (Drace), disc morphology (Murakami), and joint effusion (Larheim). Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used. . RESULTS: < 0.05). Disc morphology correlated with both pain and limited mouth opening; circular morphology was associated with higher limited mouth opening than biconvex morphology. No correlation was found between disc position and symptoms. . CONCLUSIONS: This study describes key MRI phenotypes of TMD patients, including joint effusion and disc morphological changes, and reveals their association with clinical symptoms, indicating MRI's potential value in TMD diagnosis and evaluation.