OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disk displacement in infants and young children. STUDY DESIGN: Magnetic resonance images were obtained of the temporomandibular joints in 30 infants and young children ranging in age from 2 months to 5 years (median age, 3 years; mean age, 2.5 years). RESULTS: All joints had normal superior disk position. The computed 95% confidence interval was 0.00-0.06, which implies a minimal probability that disk displacement would occur in this age group. CONCLUSIONS: The result contradicts previous suggestions that temporomandibular joint disk displacement could represent a congenital normal anatomic variant.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disk displacement in infants and young children. STUDY DESIGN: Magnetic resonance images were obtained of the temporomandibular joints in 30 infants and young children ranging in age from 2 months to 5 years (median age, 3 years; mean age, 2.5 years). RESULTS: All joints had normal superior disk position. The computed 95% confidence interval was 0.00-0.06, which implies a minimal probability that disk displacement would occur in this age group. CONCLUSIONS: The result contradicts previous suggestions that temporomandibular joint disk displacement could represent a congenital normal anatomic variant.