China Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery ›› 2014, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (1): 69-73.

• Clinical Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Characteristics of facial asymmetry of patients with juvenile unilateral temporomandibular joint anterior disc displacement

XIE Qian-yang, MA Zhi-gui, YANG Chi, CAI Xie-yi   

  1. Department of Oral Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology. Shanghai 200011, China
  • Received:2013-04-01 Revised:2013-06-26 Online:2014-02-10 Published:2014-02-10

Abstract: PURPOSE: To study the characteristics of facial asymmetry of adolescent unilateral temporomandibular anterior disc displacement patients, and clarify the relationship of facial asymmetry and disc displacement. METHODS: Consecutive juvenile patient of 10 to 20 year-old with unilateral temporomandibular anterior disc displacement confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging were collected, posteroanterior cephalometric radiographs were taken and measured. SPSS 18.0 software package was employed to analyze the asymmetry of mandible (menton, gonion, condyle), maxilla (anterior nasal spine, zygomatic alveolar ridge) and dentition (the midpoint of the upper and lower dentition) within both left and right disc displacement through one sample t test. RESULTS: One hundred and five cases aging from 10 to 20 years old (mean 16.76 years) with unilateral disc displacement were collected, 67 (63.81%) were diagnosed as mandibular deviation. Patient with unilateral disc displacement displayed decrease of vertical height of ramus, increase of dispersion of gonion on the ipsilateral side, and shift of midline of chin and upper and lower dentition to the same side (P<0.05). There was significant asymmetry of the maxilla in the right disc displacement group (P<0.05), but no asymmetry in the left disc displacement group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Teenagers with unilateral anterior disc displacement showed significant facial asymmetry and its characteristics was closely related to the ipsilateral side of disc displacement. Facial asymmetry affected mostly mandible with the chin deviated and overall rotation of mandible to the ipsilateral side. There is a tendency that development of maxilla on the ipsilateral side was affected.

Key words: Juvenile, Anterior disc displacement, Facial asymmetry, Mandibular deviation