Unilateral disc displacement as a risk factor for development of contralateral disc displacement

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology Vol. 134; no. 3; p. e81
• Main Authors: Cowan, Dr. Hayley, Schumacher, Mr. Austin, Ahmad, Dr. Mansur, Lee, Dr. Peggy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.09.2022
• ISSN: 2212-4403; 2212-4411
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2022.04.037

The aim of this study was to investigate whether unilateral temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) are associated with increased risk of contralateral TMD development. In total, 401 subjects with and without TMD completed baseline and follow-up MRI and CT imaging 8 years apart on average. Consensus diagnoses of disc displacement (DD) and degenerative joint disease (DJD), made by radiologists who performed the image analyses, were extracted from records. At baseline, 75 subjects had unilateral DD and/or DJD. Fifty-six subjects had bilateral normal joints, forming the control group. Generalized estimating equations were used to account for correlation between joints within a subject and control for age and sex. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare odds of developing DD or DJD in baseline normal joints. The odds of developing DD were 1.9 times higher in normal joints of those with unilateral DD, with or without DJD, than in those of controls (p=0.14). The odds of DD development among those with unilateral DD and DJD were 3.2 times higher than controls (p=0.049). Among those with baseline unilateral DD, the odds of developing contralateral DD were 7.32 times higher for those without reduction than with reduction (p=0.02). There was no evidence that unilateral DD is associated with contralateral DJD development or vice versa. Additionally, there was no evidence that unilateral DJD is associated with contralateral DJD development regardless of severity. The odds of developing contralateral DD or DJD were not associated with diagnostic progression or improvement of joints with baseline unilateral DJD. However, contralateral DD development was 88% less likely in those with improvement of unilateral DD (p=0.09). There is some evidence supporting unilateral DD as a risk factor for development of contralateral DD. There is no evidence supporting DJD as a risk factor for development of contralateral DD or DJD. Statement of Ethical Review Ethical Review or exemption was not warranted for this study