Subjective analysis of the application of enhancement filters on magnetic resonance imaging of the temporomandibular joint

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of enhancement filters on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Study Design: In total, 66 MRI scans of the TMJ were analyzed without filtration and with the application of 2 filters: Sharpen 1 and Sharpen 2 (OnDemand software). Two dentomaxillofacial radiologists examined the original and filtered images individually. Intra- and interobserver concordance was measured by using generalized estimating equations. The observers evaluated the subjective image quality and the visibility of 3 components of the TMJ: disk, condyle, and articular eminence. The images were ranked on a 4-point scale, from poor to excellent. The image quality of all filtered images was compared by using the χ 2 test and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Results: Intra- and interobserver concordance was good. The images filtered with Sharpen 1 and Sharpen 2 provided better definition of the structures compared with nonfiltered images, providing the highest scores for subjective image quality for all structures (P < .0001). Conclusions: The use of enhancement filters led to improved subjective quality and may improve the diagnostic efficacy of MRI in TMJ evaluation.