Abstract:
Objective
To investigate the three - dimensional morphological changes of the temporomandibular joint(TMJ)condyle in adult females with high-angle skeletal maxillary protrusion before and after orthodontic treatment using cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT),and to assess the structural adaptation of TMJ induced by orthodontic treatment.
Methods
This controlled study enrolled 27 classⅠand 28 classⅡhigh-angle skeletal maxillary protrusion patients treated between January 2018 and December 2023 in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of South China University of Technology and the Second People's Hospital of Foshan.Pre- and post-treatment CBCT scans were analyzed for joint spaces,condylar/articular fossa morphology(height/volume/surface area),and skeletal parameters(MP-SN angle,S-Go/N-Me ratio,Y-axis angle).Paired and independent t-tests were applied for within-and between-group comparisons(α=0.05).
Results
In classⅠhigh-angle patients,no significant post-treatment changes were observed in TMJ parameters:Superior joint space[(3.19±0.62)mm vs.(3.02±0.67)mm,t=0.998,P=0.328],anterior joint space[(2.44±0.32)mm vs.(2.52±0.48)mm,t=-0.859,P=0.398],posterior joint space[(2.48±0.34)mm vs.(2.43±0.28)mm,t=0.603,P=0.552],condylar apex height[(6.54±0.74)mm vs.(6.69±0.74)mm,t=-0.801,P=0.431],condylar apex volume[(452.91±35.90)mm3 vs.(472.18±57.97)mm3,t=-1.407,P=0.171],condylar height[(18.18±2.44)mm vs.(18.92±4.30)mm,t=-0.819,P=0.420],and condylar volume[(1 690.07±214.94)mm3 vs.(1 754.38±348.92)mm3,t=-0.869,P=0.393)].Articular fossa morphology and skeletal parameters also remained stable.In classⅡhigh-angle patients,significant post-treatment reductions were observed:Condylar height[(16.28±2.57)mm vs.(14.00±2.56)mm,t=3.168,P=0.004],condylar volume[(1 512.46±223.50)mm3 vs.(1 360.96±230.94)mm3,t=2.377,P=0.025],MP-SN angle[(40.99±3.97)° vs.(36.96±4.05)°,t=3.580,P = 0.001],Y-axis angle[(69.72 ± 3.38)° vs.(62.82 ± 3.36)°,t = 7.145,P<0.001],with concurrent adjustments in joint spaces[posterior:(2.23±0.40)mm vs.(2.50±0.36)mm,t=-2.476,P=0.020;anterior:(2.83±0.36)mm vs.(2.55±0.34)mm,t=2.843,P=0.008].Intergroup comparisons revealed greater post-treatment changes in classⅡfor condylar height(P=0.011),condylar volume(P=0.031),and Y-axis angle(P<0.001).
Conclusions
Orthodontic vertical control effectively improved occlusion in high-angle malocclusion patients.In class Ⅰcases,TMJ structures remained stable after treatment,with no significant changes in joint space,condylar morphology,and articular fossa.In contrast,class Ⅱ patients exhibited biomechanical adaptation through anterior - inferior condylar repositioning,accompanied by significant reductions in condylar volume and Y-axis angle.These findings underscored the necessity of individualized treatment strategies to harmonize occlusal function with condylar remodeling,particularly in classⅡhigh-angle maxillary protrusion cases.
Key words:
Skeletal protrusive malocclusion,
Adult female,
High-angle,
Temporomandibular joint,
Condyle,
Cone-beam computed tomography
Hui Huang, Yaqin Wei, Yuting Chen, Minting Wu, Jiahao Lin. Three-dimensional cone-beam CT study on temporomandibular condylar changes before and after orthodontic treatment in adult female patients with high-angle protrusive malocclusion[J]. Chinese Journal of Stomatological Research(Electronic Edition), 2025, 19(01): 41-48.