Radiographic examination of the temporomandibular joint using cone beam computed tomography

TLDR

Cone beam CT (CBCT) is a new technique for maxillofacial imaging. We describe a reconstruction technique for radiographic examination of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) using CBCT, and we further present four cases where the technique was employed. The authors developed a CBCT‑based reconstruction method for TMJ imaging, illustrated through four case studies. The reconstructed images are of high diagnostic quality, the examination time is shorter, the patient dose is lower than conventional CT, and the technique may be considered the imaging technique of choice for bony changes of the TMJ.

Abstract

Cone beam CT (CBCT) is a new technique for maxillofacial imaging. We describe a reconstruction technique for radiographic examination of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) using CBCT, and we further present four cases where the technique was employed. The technique provides a complete radiographic investigation of the bony components of the TMJ. The reconstructed images are of high diagnostic quality. The examination time is shorter and the patient dose is lower than that with conventional CT. It may therefore be considered as the imaging technique of choice when investigation of bony changes of the TMJ is the task at hand.