Do skeletal cephalometric characteristics correlate with condylar volume, surface and shape? A 3D analysis

For 94 patients (46 females and 48 males; mean age 24.3？±？6.5？years), resultant rendering reconstructions of the left and right temporal mandibular joints (TMJs) were obtained.Subjects were then classified on the base of ANB angle the GoGn-SN angle in three classes (I, II, III) . The data of the different classes were compared.No significant difference was observed in the whole sample between the right and the left sides in condylar volume.The analysis of mean volume among low, normal and high mandibular plane angles revealed a significantly higher volume and surface in low angle subjects (p？<？0.01) compared to the other groups.Class III subjects also tended to show a higher condylar volume and surface than class I and class II subjects, although the difference was not significant.Higher condylar volume was a common characteristic of low angle subjects compared to normal and high mandibular plane angle subjects. Skeletal class also appears to be associated to condylar volume and surface.The shape and volume of the condyle in young adults is considered to play an important role in the stability of long-term orthodontic and orthognathic therapies [1]‐ [7].Since the mandibular condyle undergoes a remodelling process as it responds to continuous stimuli from childhood to adulthood, it is the primary centre of growth in the mandible, where its final dimension of shape and volume could be linked to the relation between the maxillary and mandibular bases.Being a part of the TMJ structure, the condyle shows a continuous adaptability to functional stimuli. During adulthood, the condyle is often subjected to an ongoing remodelling processes, such as flattening, erosion, sclerosis, osteophytes, and resorption, which could affect its volume and shape [3].Such changes in the condyle are more associated with a number of clinical conditions: (i) arthritis, which can affect the condylar volume; (ii) the asymmetry, as recently assessed in humans [8]; (iii) anterior disc displacement