American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) Practice Exam

Condylar hyperplasia is a condition that affects the growth of the mandibular condyle, and imaging plays a crucial role in its evaluation. The most appropriate imaging method for assessing this condition is the use of Technetium-99m (Tech 99) bone scanning.

Tech 99 is a radioisotope that is primarily used in nuclear medicine for its ability to bind to bone tissue, making it effective in assessing bone metabolism and detecting hyperplastic conditions. In cases of condylar hyperplasia, a Tech 99 bone scan can reveal increased uptake in the hyperplastic condyle compared to the surrounding areas. This helps in visualizing the changes in bone activity and can differentiate between active and inactive phases of condylar growth.

While other imaging modalities, like MRI, CT, and ultrasound, have their uses in various aspects of jaw joint evaluation and pathology, they do not offer the same sensitivity in specifically detecting the metabolic activity associated with condylar hyperplasia that Tech 99 provides. MRI and CT scans may provide detailed anatomical information, but they are not as effective in directly assessing the functional aspects of condylar growth as a bone scan would be. Ultrasound also lacks the depth and detail typically required for comprehensive evaluation of cond