Assessment of reliability of cineradiographic recording of temporomandibular joint movements

As part of a cineradiographic study of temporomandibular joint movements, the reliability of the apparatus and techniques has been assessed. The areas of concern were the radiographic procedure, tracing apparatus and tracing technique. To assess the accuracy of the radiographic procedure, anatomical and radiographic measurements of mandibular condyles were compared. A range of variation of 0-46--0-8 mm was found, which compared favourably to the only previously published investigation. The use of mechanical devices simulating the fundamentals of mandibular movements suggested that the cineradiographic record showed paths of opening and closing separated more widely than occurred in vivo. The reliability of the tracing apparatus was assessed by calculated misalignments and found to be acceptable. The subjective error in tracing cineradiographic films by a regular observer was investigated by a point location error method. The error was found to be small and within acceptable limits.