This study investigated the differences of age distribution and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain between marrow edema and osteonecrosis in the mandibular condyle. Subjects consisted of 35 TMJs in 35 patients with abnormal bone marrow on MR images who were selected from a consecutive series of 527 patients with TMJ disorders. Proton density and T2-weighted MR images taken in the oblique sagittal and coronal planes were used to diagnose condylar marrow abnormalities and divide them into either edema or osteonecrosis. The differences in TMJ pain and age distribution for these two abnormalities were assessed with the one-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test with 0.05 alpha level. The degree of pain was higher in joints with marrow edema than in joints with osteonecrosis (p = 0.033). The mean age was higher in joints with osteonecrosis (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that there is more severe pain in TMJs with marrow edema of the mandibular condyle than in those with osteonecrosis. Since the patients with marrow edema have lower age, it also appears that marrow edema may be a precursor condition for osteonecrosis of the TMJ.