Signal Intensity on Fluid-attenuated Inversion Recovery Images of Condylar Marrow Changes Correspond with Slight Pain in Patients with Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

Overview

Journal Oral Radiol

Specialty Radiology

Date 2014 Sep 2

PMID 25177105

Citations 3

Authors

Sayaka Kodama

Mika Otonari-Yamamoto

Tsukasa Sano

Junichirou Sakamoto

Kenichi Imoto

Mamoru Wakoh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Edema and necrosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) have been described in terms of bone marrow signal abnormalities in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, painful joints often show no such signaling abnormalities, making the diagnosis of TMJ disorders difficult in the clinical setting. An association has been suggested between TMJ bone marrow change and TMJ pain, but even when such change results in slight pain, it may be too slight to be visually apparent on MR images. We hypothesized that fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) can be used to detect such minimal changes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an association between signal intensity on FLAIR images and pain in the TMJ.

Methods: The study included 85 TMJs in 45 patients referred to our department for MRI. The signal intensity on FLAIR images was measured. Pain was evaluated based on the visual analog scale. An unpaired test and Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient were used for the statistical analysis. A value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Signal intensity on the FLAIR images was significantly higher in painful than in nonpainful TMJs, although a significant correlation was not observed between the signal intensity and the pain score.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest an association between abnormalities in the marrow of the mandibular condyle and pain. They also indicate that FLAIR imaging is a useful tool in the clinical diagnosis of painful TMJs.

Citing Articles

Comparison of T2 Weighted, Fat-Suppressed T2 Weighted, and Three-Dimensional (3D) Fast Imaging Employing Steady-State Acquisition (FIESTA-C) Sequences in the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Evaluation.

Aksoy S, Orhan K Biomed Res Int. 2022; 2021:6032559.

PMID: 34977244 PMC: 8716192. DOI: 10.1155/2021/6032559.

Evaluation of lateral pterygoid muscles in painful temporomandibular joints by signal intensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images.

Kuroda M, Otonari-Yamamoto M, Araki K Oral Radiol. 2018; 34(1):17-23.

PMID: 30484089 DOI: 10.1007/s11282-017-0272-1.

The usefulness of diagnostic imaging for the assessment of pain symptoms in temporomandibular disorders.

Suenaga S, Nagayama K, Nagasawa T, Indo H, Majima H Jpn Dent Sci Rev. 2017; 52(4):93-106.

PMID: 28408961 PMC: 5390340. DOI: 10.1016/j.jdsr.2016.04.004.

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