Association of bone marrow edema with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis and internal derangements

Purpose: This study reviewed the dental literature in order to determine the association of bone marrow edema with osteoarthritis and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangement disorders. Methods: A literature search was performed using electronic databases PubMed/Medline (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland) and Cochrane for articles published during the last 15 years (January 2000–December 2014). A predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used for filtering the scientific papers. Research articles fulfilling the basic inclusion criteria were included in the review. Results: The reviewed studies showed that bone marrow edema is found in painful joints with osteoarthritis in a majority of cases. A few cases with no pain or significant degenerative changes are reported to have a bone marrow edema pattern as well. Conclusions: Bone marrow edema, increased fluid level, and pain are associated with osteoarthritis in the majority of patients reporting TMJ arthritis. Degenerative and disc displacement conditions are multifactorial and require further investigations. Magnetic resonance imaging can be employed to detect bone marrow edema even in the absence of pain and clinical symptoms in the patients of internal derangements.