title: Replacement of the interarticular disc of the craniomandibular joint with fresh autogenous sternal or auricular cartilage. An experimental study in guinea pigs.
abstract: Meniscectomy has proved to be a disadvantageous therapeutic method for the surgical treatment of patients with internal derangement of the TMJ. A few authors have reported on the replacement of the removed disc with dermis, fascia and auricular cartilage in clinical reports. To the best of our knowledge no experimental work has ever been published on this subject. The interarticular disc of six young adult albino guinea pigs was removed and replaced with fresh autogenous sternal cartilage and in nine others with fresh autogenous auricular cartilage. After having been followed clinically, the animals were sacrificed after 3, 6, 12 and 24 weeks. Transplantation of sternal cartilage resulted clinically in moderate to marked discomfort. However, histologically no spectacular changes in the joints were found. The auricular cartilage transplants clinically did rather well. Histologically, some changes were found which became less pronounced with time. The use of sternal cartilage is not advisable as a replacement material because of technical reasons. The protective role of the auricular transplants could not be fully evaluated because of their tendency to warp and become displaced, although they retained their original microscopic structure and did not show reactive or resorptive changes. Further studies using larger groups of experimental animals and intermaxillary fixation are justified.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ioannides
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Maltha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002356:Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004431:Ear, External; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D011859:Radiography; D013249:Sternum; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous