The usefulness of diagnostic imaging for the assessment of pain symptoms in temporomandibular disorders

The causes of pain symptoms in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and masticatory muscle (MM) regions may not be determined by clinical examination alone. In this review, we document that pain symptoms of the TMJ and MM regions in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are associated with computed tomography and magnetic resonance (MR) findings of internal derangement, joint effusion, osteoarthritis, and bone marrow edema. However, it is emphasized that these imaging findings must not be regarded as the unique and dominant factors in defining TMJ pain. High signal intensity and prominent enhancement of the posterior disk attachment on fat saturation T2-weighted imaging and dynamic MR imaging with contrast material are closely correlated with the severity of TMJ pain. Magnetic transfer contrast, MR spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, and ultrasonography findings have helped identify intramuscular edema and contracture as one of the causes of MM pain and fatigue. Recently, changes in brain as detected by functional MR neuroimaging have been associated with changes in the TMJ and MM regions. The thalamus, the primary somatosensory cortex, the insula, and the anterior and mid-cinglate cortices are most frequently associated with TMD pain.