Evaluation of the patient for temporomandibular joint surgery.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery is the preferred treatment for tumors, neoplasms, and selected injuries and infections of the TMJ. It is also an appropriate and effective treatment for subsets of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) that are characterized by mechanical disruption of joint function. Careful and systematic clinical evaluation and imaging is required to determine if painful TMD with altered range of motion is amenable to surgery of the TMJ. This article offers a rational approach to evaluation of patients for TMJ surgery.
Moore
Larry J
LJ
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. drljmoore@aol.com