TMJ surgery is one of the many forms of treatment used to treat the condition known as TMJ disorder. While TMJ surgery is one of the more extreme methods of treatment for TMJ for some people with the disorder TMJ surgery is the best, and possibly the only, available option. For most people with TMJ the disorder never progresses to a level or causes enough damage to where surgery is required.
There are a variety of different types of TMJ surgery, each of which tends to focus on a specific problem that is either caused by TMJ or is recognized to be the source of the disorder. In cases where TMJ surgery is required it is generally because the temporomandibular joint has been damaged to a point where non-surgical treatments will be ineffective. No amount of jaw exercised or relaxation therapy can repair a jaw that is misaligned or a temporomandibular joint that has physical damage. When TMJ surgery is necessary physicians and surgeons always try to use the least invasive procedure as possible because the risks are lower and there is a better chance for recovery. Because of that, arthroscopy is typically the first option that is considered due to the fact that it is minimally invasive and has an incredibly short recovery time. Unfortunately, because arthroscopy is performed using a small arthroscope that is inserted through a small incision the amount that can be accomplished with the procedure is somewhat limited and it is most often used prior to other forms of TMJ surgery to enable the surgeons to determine what type of repair needs to be performed. Arthroscopy at times is also used in order to aid in a procedure known as arthrocentesis which is the draining of fluid from in and around the joint using a needle.
After arthroscopy the other forms of TMJ surgery tend to be a bit more invasive and come with increase risks. After arthroscopy has been considered many of the next level surgical procedures that are considered fall into a designation known as arthroplasty, which is basically a procedure designed to improve the function of a joint through a variety of surgical methods. One of the most common types of arthroplasty to be used in TMJ surgery is a procedure known as disc repositioning. Surgeons generally use this procedure to reposition a cartilage disc in the temporomandibular joint that has slipped out of place. An out of place cartilage disk can result in direct cone on bone contact and make it incredibly painful to move the jaw. In most instances disk repositioning surgery can be performed in an hour or two and requires a rather short stay in the hospital for recovery.
When a disc repositioning surgery fails to fix the problem another type of TMJ surgery, known as a discectomy, will generally be the next best option. A discectomy is used when the cartilage disk is damaged beyond repair or when the disk fails to stay in position. During a discectomy the cartilage disk is removed from the joint completely so that scar tissue can form over time, which will prevent the bones in the joint from rubbing together. Because scar tissue must be allowed to form recovery from this particular form of TMJ surgery could take as long as 2-3 months.
If there has been severe damage to the joint that cannot be rectified by any of the less invasive procedures a type of arthroplastic procedure known as replacement may be the only option left. TMJ replacement is generally considered after all other options have been tried because the risks and recovery time for this particular type of TMJ surgery are higher than all of the others. TMJ replacement comes in two different variations, partial and complete. Partial TMJ replacement entails the removal and replacement of only a portion of the temporomandibular joint while complete TMJ replacement obviously requires that the entire joint be removed. In many cases, when a new joint is necessary it will consist of a transplant from the patient’s own rib that has been shaped to take the form of a new temporomandibular joint. During the procedure the jaw is temporarily wired shut in order to prevent muscle spasms and to give surgeons a clear view of the joint that needs to be replaced. In some cases it may be determined that the jaw needs to be wired shut for a short time after the procedure in order to facilitate a full recovery for the patient.
TMJ Surgery terms:
- tmj authoscopic
- tmj braces pictures
- TMJ atrhrocentesis procedure
- Photos Tmj Surgery
- tmd surgery