Evaluation of mandibular condyle morphology in Indian ethnics-A cross sectional cone beam computed tomography study

The present study aims at age and sex related changes in condylar height, condylar width and condylar length and evaluates the correlation between condylar width, condylar height, condylar length with Hounsfield unit(HS). The age prediction and sex determination on the basis of condylar height, condylar width and condylar length is also evaluated.

The cone beam images were performed using Carestream 9000cc (USA) CBCT machine. The measurements of study parameters i.e. condylar height, condylar width and condylar length were performed prospectively on CBCT images of 300 temporomandibular joint of 150 study subjects.

The comparison of condylar width and conylar length shows significant (p<0.05) difference in the condylar width among the age groups however the difference in condylar length was statistically non-significant (p>.05) in both sides (Right and left side). There was statistically significant (p=0.001) difference in the condylar width between male and female in both right side and left side. There was significant difference in the condylar height between male and female in both right (p<0.01) and left side (p<0.05). On the basis of mathematical equations derived from linear regression analysis, age of an individual can be predicted if either of condylar height, condylar width, or condylar length is known.

Age estimation is a sub-discipline of the forensic sciences. This study is first study which has derived mathematical equations for age estimation by linear regression analysis if either of condylar height, condylar width, or condylar length is known.