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Radiographic Pathology of the Temporomandibular Joints, and Head Pain
Author(s) -
Tilds Barry N.,
Miller Peter R.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1987.hed2708427.x
Subject(s) - medicine , temporomandibular joint , orofacial pain , radiography , facial pain , radiology , physical therapy , surgery , dentistry
SYNOPSIS The rationale for the use of many diagnostic tests in head pain patients must be questioned, since most studies include only symptomatic individuals. In previous works by the authors, it has been documented that x‐ray techniques to view osseous structures, other than high resolution computerized tomography (CT), are likely to be inadequate. 1 CT was found to be a valuable aid in the detection of bony abnormalities in patients with post‐traumatic head pain. 2 There is no doubt that the detection of fractures and other osseous defects with this technique provided an accurate diagnosis as to the cause of pain and enabled successful treatment planning with these trauma patients. Most non‐trauma head pain patients complain of similar types of pains, but upon evaluation of their CT findings, no correlation could be made between the duration, intensity or frequency of the pain and the structural damage found, if in fact any pathology was visualized on the CT scans. After reviewing numerous publications concerning head pain related to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, and clinically evaluating many patients who had undergone various x‐ray procedures as diagnostic modalities for the pain, it was decided to compare a group of pain free subjects and patients who were treated for head and/or facial pain that was proven to be unrelated to TMJ problems, with a group of subjects confirmed to have non‐traumatic induced TMJ symptoms. Our subjects in this pain free study group exhibited pathology equal to or greater than those patients suffering with pain from the TMJ. Upon analysis of our data, we feel that we can state that CT findings of pathology within the TMJ, not associated with trauma, can in no way quantitate or qualitate any relation to pain.