Quantification of temporomandibular joint space in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis assessed by cone beam computerized tomography

Objective: To describe a method to calculate the total intra-articular volume (inter-osseous space) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) determined by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). This could be used as a marker of tissue proliferation and different degrees of soft tissue hyperplasia in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients.Materials and Methods: Axial single-slice CBCT images of cross-sections of the TMJs of 11 JIA patients and 11 controls were employed. From the top of the glenoid fossa, in the caudal direction, an average of 26 slices were defined in each joint (N = 44). The interosseous space was manually delimited from each slice by using dedicated software that includes a graphic interface. TMJ volumes were calculated by adding the areas measured in each slice. Two volumes were defined: Ve-i and V-i, where Ve-i is the inter-osseous space, volume defined by the borders of the fossa and V-i is the internal volume defined by the condyle. An intra-articular volume filling index (IF) was defined as Ve-i/V-i, which represents the filling of the space.Results: The measured space of the intra-articular volume, corresponding to the intra-articular soft tissue and synovial fluid, was more than twice as large in the JIA group as in the control group.Conclusion: The presented method, based on CBCT, is feasible for assessing inter-osseus joint volume of the TMJ and delimits a threshold of intra-articular changes related to intra-articular soft tissue proliferation, based on differences in volumes. Intra-articular soft tissue is found to be enlarged in JIA patients.