📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) present a clinical challenge due to the diversity of their symptomatic expression and the frequent discordance between clinical findings and imaging characteristics. Limited data exist from Nigerian populations on clinicoradiological correlations in TMD, particularly using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and MRI. This analytical cross-sectional study investigates the correlation between clinical signs and symptoms of TMD and corresponding CBCT and panoramic radiographic findings among 120 adult patients diagnosed with TMD at three maxillofacial surgery units across the South West and South East geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Clinical assessment followed the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD), and imaging was reviewed by an oral radiologist blinded to clinical findings. Variables analyzed include joint space narrowing, condylar erosion, flattening, osteophyte formation, articular eminence morphology, and disc position on MRI where available. Results reveal moderate clinicoradiological agreement (kappa = 0.58) for degenerative joint findings, with significant discordance in patients with predominantly muscular-origin TMD. Condylar erosion was the imaging finding most strongly correlated with joint pain on loading. MRI disc displacement was confirmed in 61% of clinically diagnosed disc displacement cases. The study contributes African population-specific data to the TMD diagnostic literature and highlights the need for validated imaging protocols for TMD in Nigerian maxillofacial units. Keywords: temporomandibular joint disorders, CBCT, clinical diagnosis, clinicoradiological correlation, Nigeria.
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