Loose bodies of the temporomandibular joint: arthrographic and CT findings in five patients
Duvoisin, B.; Schnyder, P.; Uske, A.; Klaus, E.; Hohlfeld, J.
Journal Belge de Radiologie 73(1): 27-30
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0302-7430 PMID: 2318797 Document Number: 355172
We report a series of five patients with symptoms of internal derangements of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), in whom intraarticular loose bodies were found. Three patients with a single loose body had osteochondrosis dissecans of the temporal part of the joint; one trauma patient had two loose bodies (including a bony and a meniscal fragment). The fifth patient presented with a loose meniscal fragment and a complete meniscal rupture, complicating a long-lasting TMJ dysfunction due to non-reducible anterior meniscus displacement. The diagnosis was made by arthrotomography (3 cases), CT (one case) and by CT and arthrotomography (one case). Surgical confirmation was obtained in all patients. Arthrography and CT are accurate in diagnosing TMJ loose bodies; characteristic findings disclosed in both examinations are described.