A comparative study on meniscectomy and autogenous graft replacement of the rhesus monkey temporomandibular joint articular disc - Part II

This study investigated the effects of free auricular cartilage and pedicle d temporalis myofascial flap replacement of the temporomandibular joint art icular disc in eight rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). The eight animals wer e divided into two groups (four animals in each group) for replacement of t he disc with either auricular cartilage graft or pedicled temporalis myofas cial graft. Degenerative changes (osteoarthritis) were observed in all the experimental joints. Despite degeneration of grafted cartilage tissue, hist ologic and clinical responses after auricular cartilage grafting were favou rable. Pedicled temporalis myofascial flap resulted in re-formation of a di sc-like interpositional structure in most of the studied joints with the mo st favourable histologic response.