Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, often resulting from natural wear and tear on a joint. It is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage that lines the ends of the bones in the joint. OA is commonly observed in the fingers, neck, hip, knee, and back. OA is also observed in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). In this study, iCAT cone beam scans were performed on 14 cadaver heads (28 TMJs) at 0.3 mm resolution. After cone beam CT imaging, the TMJs were dissected, decalcified, and prepared for routine histological H & E staining. The iCAT scans were examined by a radiologist for OA changes in the TMJ. Parameters for OA included changes in bone density, subchondral sclerosis, and osteophyte formation. The histological sections of the TMJ were examined by a pathologist for OA changes in the TMJ. Parameters for OA included cartilaginous changes, subchondral sclerosis, and osteophyte formation. In addition, the slides were classified into 3 stages of OA: early, intermediate, and late OA. In our study, 12 TMJs were classified with late OA, 5 with intermediate OA, 7 with early OA, and 4 were normal. The iCAT scans were very accurate at being able to detect OA changes in late OA. All 12 TMJs that were classified as late OA were noted to have OA changes in the scans. The intermediate OA was only detected in 1 scan (20%), and early OA was detected in 1 scan (14%). All of the normal scans were also observed to be normal on the scans (100%). In conclusion, our study suggests that dental iCAT cone beam scans are an excellent way of detecting late OA changes in the mandibular condyle where biopsy in not available.