Evaluation of Lateral Pterygoid Muscle in Temporomandibular Disorder Patients - a Mri Study

Lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) was evaluated in Non TMD subjects(control group) as well as TMD patients(study group).15 controls were used and 20 patients were used. Patients with lateral pterygoid muscle myalgia was the main criteria for selection of patients. Questionnaire was filled up for each patient and lateral pterygoid was evaluated for every patient with help of MRI. In control group, the LPM in 86.67% patients appeared normal with no pathological changes in the muscle. LPM appeared as a fan shaped muscle with dense homogeneous signal with well defined borders. Both, the superior and inferior of the LPM were visible on the oblique sagittal view. Statistically significant presence of fatty degeneration was noted in the study group (p<0.01). MRI abnormalities of the lateral pterygoid showed close associations with the main symptoms of TMD. i.e. All patients(100%) with pain and condylar hypermobility had significant presence of fatty degeneration in LPM. various imaging tools. Thus MRI promises to be one of the important tools in evaluating the status of lateral pterygoid muscle in diagnosis of TMD. Aims :-The aims of this study are:a. To evaluate MRI findings of the lateral pterygoid muscle in non-TMD subjects. b. To evaluate pathological changes in the lateral pterygoid muscle by using MRI in patients suffering from TMD. c. To compare MRI findings of the lateral pterygoid muscle with the clinical symptoms of TMD. This study was designed to investigate MRI finding of LPM in non TMD subjects (control group) and to evaluate the pathological changes in LPM by using MRI in patients suffering from TMD. Materials and Methods:Total sample size was 46 individuals, amongst which 31 were patients who reported to Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Bharati Vidyapeeth Dental College and Hospital, suffering from painful symptoms of TMJ of long duration. 15 volunteers, who did not suffer from any symptoms of TMD, were used as control group.