Can Mandibular Condylar Mobility Sonography Measurements Predict Difficult Laryngoscopy?.

BACKGROUND: Limited mandibular condylar mobility plays an important role in difficult laryngoscopy. Indirect assessment methods, such as mouth opening, have been proven to be useful predictors of difficult laryngoscopy. Sonography is a new direct assessment method for the limited mandibular condylar mobility. However, whether this method could be used in predicting difficult laryngoscopy still remains unknown. This study aimed to observe its ability to predict difficult laryngoscopy. METHODS: Adult patients who were administered tracheal intubations for elective surgery under general anesthesia were enrolled in the study. Mandibular condylar mobility was assessed by sonography through condylar translation measurements. Beside mouth opening, other indirect variables that correlated with temporomandibular joint mobility, such as mandibular protrusion distance, upper lip bite test, and whether the condyle-tragus distance was

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