Conventional radiographic analysis of facet joint and condylar erosion in patients at the UCSG. Prevalence study

Introduction: The degenerative alterations commonly found in the TMJ include condylar flattening and erosion of its articular surface, changes that can be observed in imaging studies. Objective: To determine the prevalence of condylar facets and erosions observed in panoramic radiographs of patients treated at the dental clinic of the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil during the B – 2024 term. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study with a qualitative-quantitative approach was conducted. The final sample size consisted of 274 digital panoramic radiographs obtained from the UCSG Radiology Laboratory, after obtaining prior permission. Results: The findings revealed that only 16.8% (n = 15) of the evaluated samples presented condylar erosions. When evaluating facets, it was observed that 41.6% exhibited bilateral condylar facets. Women presented higher percentages of both erosions and facets compared to men (p > 0.05). The group with condylar facets had a mean age of 34.45 years, while the group with condylar erosions had a mean age of 38.48 years. Conclusion: This study found that condylar facets, whether unilateral or bilateral, were significantly more frequent in the study population than condylar erosions. The results demonstrated a complete absence of coexistence between both evaluated conditions, suggesting a statistically significant inverse relationship.