Condylar position in superior maxillary repositioning and its effect on the temporomandibular joint

Twenty-nine patients (58 joints) were tomographically evaluated for condylar position and assessed for temporomandibular joint function following superior maxillary repositioning with mandibular autorotation. Seventy-six percent of the condyles showed postoperative posterior repositioning, whereas tomographic measurement of the joint spaces revealed significantly posterior condylar position (P less than .01) relative to the preoperative position. Pre- and postoperative comparative values of condylar displacement from absolute concentricity based on the Pullinger index also showed posterior condylar repositioning postoperatively (P less than .001). However, there was no correlation between condylar position and the presence of temporomandibular joint symptoms in both the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups.