Intra- and interobserver agreement of computed tomography in assessment of the mandibular condyle

Purpose: To study the intra- and interobserver agreement of multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) in interpretation of degenerative changes of the mandibular condyle. Materials and Methods: Five observers independently evaluated one hundred temporomandibular joint MDCT images for signs of osteophytes, erosion, sclerosis and flattening. The intra- and interobserver agreements were calculated by using Kappa statistics. Results: The intraobserver agreement was substantial for erosion (k=0.75), flattening (k=0.74) and sclerosis (k=0.72) and almost perfect for osteophytes (k=0.84). The interobserver agreement was fair for flattening (k=0.39), moderate for erosion (k=0.58) and sclerosis (k=0.48) and substantial for osteophytes (k=0.75). Conclusion: This study shows that we can expect good agreement for the presence of osteophytes, but not for flattening in the interpretation of MDCT images of the condyle.