{
  "abstract": "Background and Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may involve the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), but structural features distinguishing RA-related involvement from non-RA temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) remain incompletely defined. This study compared quantitative and qualitative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) findings between patients with RA and a symptomatic non-RA TMD comparison group and explored bilateral asymmetry and associations with RA-related characteristics. Materials and Methods: This single-center retrospective cross-sectional study included 84 adults (42 RA and 42 non-RA TMD). All participants had TMJ-related symptoms or signs and clinically indicated CBCT examinations available. Bilateral CBCT assessment included condylar and mandibular fossa morphometry, joint-space measurements, condylar position, and qualitative osseous abnormalities. Linear mixed-effects models and generalized estimating equations accounted for bilateral observations, with Holm correction for multiple testing. Exploratory clinical associations and intraobserver reliability were also evaluated. Results: Clinical TMJ manifestations did not differ significantly between groups. The inferential analyses showed lower condylar height and anterior joint space and greater condylar length, anteroposterior condylar length, and condylar-to-midsagittal distance in RA. The largest quantitative difference involved condylar height (-5.43 mm; adjusted p < 0.001). Cortical erosions (OR = 5.94; 95% CI, 2.57-13.70) and joint-space narrowing (OR = 3.96; 95% CI, 1.66-9.42) were more strongly associated with RA. Absolute bilateral asymmetry did not differ after multiplicity correction, although group-by-side interactions persisted for condylar height and condylar position. Longer disease duration correlated with greater condylar-height asymmetry (ρ = 0.62; adjusted p < 0.001). Intraobserver reliability was high to excellent. Conclusions: RA-related TMJ involvement appears to reflect combined condylar remodeling, vertical structural loss, altered condyle-fossa relationships, and erosive change rather than uniform degeneration. These findings support CBCT as a potentially useful tool for structural characterization, but prospective multimodal validation using observed patient-level data is required.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universității Street, 700115 Iași, Romania."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Malina Iris Maftei"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Codrina Ancuţa",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1777-8121"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ionuț Tărăboanță",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5452-916X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Magda Antohe"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Cristina Gena Dascalu",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0402-060X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Cristina-Angela Ghiorghe",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1636-6686"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ana-Maria Fătu",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-7177-7788"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Oana Țănculescu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0087-7190"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Cristina Iordache"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8kwtz9h4dv331.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/medicina62101866",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13707342",
  "id": "8kwtz9h4dv331",
  "issns": [
    "1010-660X",
    "1648-9144"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42942397",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3603|Temporomandibular Joint Disorders"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214658449",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13707342?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13707342",
  "pmid": "42942397",
  "published": "2026-09-26",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8kwtz9h4dv331.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:24Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42942397",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42942397"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:F27",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Structural Alterations of the Temporomandibular Joint in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Study.",
  "title_text": "Structural Alterations of the Temporomandibular Joint in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:24Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8kwtz9h4dv331",
  "venue": "Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)",
  "versions": []
}