Objective: To investigate the differences between temporomandibular articular fossa bone surface and the envelope surface of the mandibular condyle movement.
Methods: Thirty-four healthy adults underwent skull base and mandible scans using CBCT and performed mandibular border movement using the mandibular movement recording system. Landmarks of the fossa and tubercle were indicated and distance and angle parameters were measured on the 3D models reconstructed from the CBCT. The condyle movement envelope surfaces were formed according to models reconstructed from CBCT and the mandibular movement trajectory using computer simulation. The highest and lowest points of the envelope surface were indicated to create parameters. The data were analysed using a paired t test in SPSS (version 24.0, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA).
Results: The mandibular fossa bone surface was statistically different to the envelope surface for the height of the first peak of the envelope surface (3.280 ± 1.319 mm) and depth of the mandibular fossa (6.338 ± 2.389 mm) (the ratio was 51.75%), the height of the second peak of the envelope surface (1.463 ± 0.745 mm) and the height of the tubercle (2.000 ± 0.968 mm) (the ratio was 73.15%), and the downwards angle of the envelope surface (25.933 ± 7.539 degrees) and the posterior slope angle of the articular tubercle (35.059 ± 5.224 degrees) (the ratio was 73.97%).
Conclusion: The downwards angle of the envelope surface was statistically significantly smaller than the posterior slope angle of the articular tubercle, suggesting that the condyle movement is flatter than the mandibular fossa bone surface.