SYNOVECTOMY AND DISKECTOMY OF THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT IN PATIENTSWITH CHRONIC ARTHRITIC DISEASE COMPARED WITH DISKECTOMIES IN PATIENTSWITH INTERNAL DERANGEMENT - A 3-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY
T. Bjornland et Ta. Larheim, SYNOVECTOMY AND DISKECTOMY OF THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT IN PATIENTSWITH CHRONIC ARTHRITIC DISEASE COMPARED WITH DISKECTOMIES IN PATIENTSWITH INTERNAL DERANGEMENT - A 3-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY, European journal of oral sciences, 103(1), 1995, pp. 2-7
Twenty-five temporomandibular joints (TMJs) in 15 patients with chroni
c arthritic disease were treated with synovectomy and diskectomy. Twen
ty patients with internal derangement of 27 TMJs treated with diskecto
my served as a control group. A response in pain relief was seen in 73
% of the patients with chronic arthritic disease and in 80% of the pat
ients with internal derangement 3 yr postoperatively. In both groups o
f patients a significant increase in mouth opening capacity and latera
l movement of the mandible was seen postoperatively, with no significa
nt difference in the improvement between the two groups. Four patients
with chronic arthritic disease were reoperated within the 3-yr observ
ation period. This study indicates that synovectomy and diskectomy of
the TMJ may reduce pain and improve mandibular function in patients wi
th severe chronic arthritic TMJ disease.