Temporomandibular joint intermittent closed lock: clinic and magnetic resonance imaging findings

Abstract

Objective: This study was carried out to describe the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of patients with intermittent closed lock (ICL) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Study design: This retrospective study included 58 joints with ICL and 526 joints without ICL as controls. We compared the MRI findings between the patients with and without ICL and investigated clinical and MRI finding of ICL patients. We divided ICL patients into 2 groups based on the treatment efficacy: effective and ineffective.

Results: There were significant differences in the prevalence of disk deformity between the joints with and without ICL. Masticatory muscle pain was observed in 41.7% of the effective group and in 80% of the ineffective group, respectively.

Conclusions: These results suggest that there is a relationship among the onset of ICL and disk deformation. Masticatory musclepain was significantly observed in the ineffective group.