Horizontal condylar angle in relation to internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint.

The angle between the horizontal condylar long axis and the frontal plane was measured and correlated with arthrographic diagnosis in 364 consecutive temporomandibular joint patients. There were no statistically significant associations between the horizontal condylar angle and the arthrographic diagnosis. The condylar angle of the contralateral joint however, was, found to be larger in patients with unilateral anterior disk displacement than in patients with normal temporomandibular joints. There is no immediate explanation of this finding, but it supports previous observations and may contribute to the understanding of the etiology and the pathogenesis of internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint.