Disc repositioning plus temporal eminectomy for temporomandibular joint internal derangement: A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Temporomandibular joint internal derangement is a common disorder, which usually resolves with conservative management. However, 5% of patients require surgery and although many techniques have been described, a gold standard surgical procedure has not yet been established.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of disc repositioning plus temporal eminectomy versus disc repositioning alone, for the treatment of temporomandibular joint internal derangement.

METHODOLOGY: Matched case-control retrospective pilot study. Records of patients diagnosed with temporomandibular joint internal derangement from January 2010 to December 2015 were studied. Eleven patients treated with disc repositioning plus temporal eminectomy for the case group and 11 patients treated with disc repositioning alone for the age- and gender-matched control group.

RESULTS: No difference was found in terms of pain, noise or blockage with the maximum oral opening between the groups at the first or sixth month after surgery. However, there were differences in movement restriction at the first and sixth month after surgery, in favor of the temporal eminectomy group. These differences were statistically significant only at the sixth month after surgery (P: 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that disc repositioning plus temporal eminectomy could be a short-term benefit in terms of mobility and oral opening. However, larger samples and prospective trials will be necessary to corroborate the current findings.