Functional outcomes of total temporomandibular joint replacement with customized prostheses: a clinical case series
10.5125/jkaoms.2025.51.6.397
- Author:
Gonzalo Martinovic GUZMÁN
1
;
Josefina Silva RADNIC
;
Sofía Escobar RIQUELME
;
Juan Pablo SALINAS CAZENAVE
;
Paola Lillo GÓMEZ
;
Jaime Mayorga MALDONADO
;
Carlos Plaza ÁLVAREZ
;
Karen Danke HAUSDORF
Author Information
1. Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital Militar de Santiago, Santiago, Chile
- Publication Type:CASE SERIES STUDY
- From:Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
2025;51(6):397-403
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objectives:To report the clinical and functional outcomes of patients undergoing total temporomandibular joint (TMJ) replacement with customized prostheses.
Materials and Methods:Six female patients treated between 2018 and 2024 for advanced TMJ pathology—severe osteoarthritis (n=5) or condylar osteochondroma (n=1)—were included. All underwent unilateral total joint replacement using customized prostheses planned with cone-beam computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Interincisal mouth opening (IMO), pain (visual analog scale), jaw function (JF), and dietary intake (DI), assessed through a Likert-type psychometric scale, were recorded preoperatively and during a minimum follow-up of 24 months.
Results:All patients showed postoperative improvement. Median JF decreased from 6.5 to 3.5, DI from 8 to 1.5, and pain from 7 to 2. Postoperative IMO averaged 32 to 33 mm. One patient required revision for screw displacement without long-term functional compromise.
Conclusion:Customized TMJ prostheses proved safe and effective, demonstrating consistent improvements in pain, mandibular function, and dietary capacity in patients with severe joint disease. This approach represents a reliable therapeutic option when combined with individualized surgical planning.
