The relationship between temporomandibular joint-space asymmetry and craniovertebral position in unilateral temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis: A cone-beam computed tomography study

<p><b>Objective</b>: This retrospective cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) study examined whether temporomandibular joint (TMJ) space asymmetry is associated with upper cervical (C0–C1–C2) position in unilateral TMJ osteoarthritis (TMJOA).</p> <p><b>Methods</b>: Seventy-nine patients (40 controls without definite OA in either TMJ, 39 unilateral), classified using RDC/TMD criteria, had the joint spaces, a condylar ratio, and craniovertebral parameters measured and expressed as side-to-side and affected-versus-unaffected asymmetries.</p> <p><b>Results</b>: Within the unilateral group, superior joint-space asymmetry correlated moderately with occipital condyle–atlas–axis (OCAA) asymmetry (ρ = 0.50, <i>p</i> = .001), surviving false-discovery-rate correction; the whole-sample correlation was weaker (ρ = 0.24).</p> <p><b>Conclusion</b>: Superior joint-space asymmetry may represent an imaging correlate of craniovertebral position, not a diagnostic marker.

These findings are preliminary and require replication; interpretation is limited by the retrospective design, an approximately six-year age difference between groups, and the absence of clinical or symptom data.</p>