T. Bjornland et al., DEGENERATIVE CHANGES IN THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT AFTER DIAGNOSTIC ARTHROSCOPY - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY IN GOATS, International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery, 23(1), 1994, pp. 41-45
Arthroscopic procedures for diagnosis and treatment of temporomanibula
r joint (TMJ) diseases are widely used. Few adverse effects of the pro
cedures have been reported. In this in vivo study, diagnostic arthrosc
opy was performed in the left TMJ of seven castrated male goats, the r
ight TMJ serving as a control. The goats were killed 1, 2, and 3 month
s after the arthroscopy. Macroscopic and microscopic examination revea
led no apparent pathologic changes in two animals, minor changes in tw
o, and severe degenerative changes in three, This study indicates that
arthroscopic intervention in the TMJ may cause irreversible changes i
n the articular tissues.