Alternative Total TMJ Arthroplasty: Metal-on-Metal for Longevity in Implant Survivorship and Patient Satisfaction.
Use of biomaterials as an implant device for TMJ joint reconstruction in oral maxillofacial surgery has
been an ever-increasing dilemma for the oral maxillofacial surgeon. The decision to choose the best
procedure and device/material in providing longevity wirh satisfaction to the patient has become a
demanding factor. Maxillofacial surgeons are faced with a "young age" patient population and are in a continual
struggle to find the proper device to maintain long-term survivorship without recurrent multiple
operations. This multiple operation(s) factor can cause a further complication in itself, and also reduce the
survivorship of implant devices. There has been a steady decrease in recent years in the number of TMJ surgical
procedures performed by accredited OMS residency training programs; this may be due to the many
short-term survivorship failures with certain alloplastic devices (Proplast/Teflon and Silastic) as well as
the short-term survivorship of autologous tissue implants (Fascia and Grafts) and the added factor of
enhanced complications with multiple surgeries. So the question asked by many oral maxillofacial surgeons
is: what other procedure or biomaterial/device, if any, is available to avert the ever-present TMJ disease
process and disorder?
Lippincott III
A L
AL
Engineering Consulting Services, Inc. Prior Lake, Minn.
Chase
D C
DC
Christensen
R W
RW