Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Cone Beam CT Image Registration for Osseous and Soft Tissue Abnormalities of Temporomandibular Joint: A Systematic Review

Abstract Introduction Proper diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) is paramount for proper management. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) provides additional information about osseous components of TMJ, but diagnosis of soft tissue abnormalities is still a challenging issue for the clinicians. To overcome this, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CBCT registration has shown to be a new promising technique that combines key features of both images into one single fusion image. The purpose of this systematic review was to compile available literature regarding the usefulness of CBCT and MRI-CBCT fusion imaging in proper diagnosis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) abnormalities. Materials and Methods Computerized literature search from January 2010 to 2020 using five databases: PubMed (MEDLINE) database (National Library of Medicine, NCBI), Cochrane Database, Scopus, Embase, and Science Direct was conducted by use of medical specific headings (MeSH) keywords. Results Only 10 articles met the inclusion criteria. Eight articles showed that CBCT accurately detected osseous components of TMJ but has low reliability in diagnosing soft tissue articular disc disorders. Relationship between hard and soft tissues were clearly visualized in fused images. Conclusion MRI-CBCT image registration is a reliable diagnostic tool for simultaneous evaluation of osseous and soft tissue abnormalities of TMJ and in future more studies should be encouraged to validate its accuracy for TMJ analysis.