TMJ Disease

TMJ Replacement

Total joint replacement

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If a joint is badly damaged and cannot be repaired, it must be removed and replaced. Conditions requiring surgery may include: severe degenerative disease, congenitally deformed TMJs and advanced rheumatoid arthritis. Due to the general risks associated with surgery, this treatment is used only after other treatment options have been considered.

Over the past 20 years, total joint replacement surgeries have become a safer and more common option for those suffering with TMJ disease. As these surgeries have become more mainstream, a variety of prosthetic TMJ joints have been tried, tested and improved upon.

Partial joint replacement

When only one of the components (disk, ball or socket) of the TMJ is replaced, it is called a partial joint replacement. If the temporal bone no longer provides a smooth socket (articular fossa), a metal liner (fossa replacement) is placed inside the TMJ to restore motion and flexibility in the TMJ. When the ends of the jawbone (condyles) are damaged and no longer ball-shaped, they can be replaced. Surgeons can harvest bone from another part of the patient's body, such as the ribs, and attach it with screws to the damaged section of the TMJ. A metal prosthesis is often used instead of bone because less surgery is needed, since there is no "donor" site.

Total joint replacement

In a total joint procedure the original ball and joint are both replaced with metal parts. Once inserted, the two metal components slide smoothly across each other's surfaces, eliminating any painful grinding and consequently eliminating the need for a disk. As padding is no longer needed, the disk is removed.

Those with joint replacement will face some restrictions with their new prosthesis. Just like knee replacement patients are not advised to run marathons, certain lifestyle and behavioral changes are suggested to minimize pain and reduce stress on the TMJ.