Radiologic outcomes of temporomandibular joint disk repositioning by suturing through an open incision in adolescent patients with anterior disk displacement

Abstract

To investigate the efficacy and stability of temporomandibular joint disk repositioning by suturing through an open incision in adolescents with anterior disk displacement (ADD). Patients(aged 10-18 years) diagnosed with ADD and operated for disc repositioning between June 2019and January 2021were included in this study. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cephalometric films before and 1 year after surgery were collected from all patients. The surgical success rate was defined as the primary outcome variable. Changes of condylar height, mandibular asymmetry, and retrognathia were defined as the secondary outcome variables. One hundred and four patients (167 joints) with a mean age of 14.6 ± 1.81 years were included in this study. Postoperative MRIs showed that all disks had been repositioned with an overall success rate of 94%. Statistically significant differences were found in the improvement of condylar height (P < .001), mandibular asymmetry (P < .001), and retrognathia (P < .001) after 1 year of follow-up. The relapse rate in patients <15 years (8.57%) was higher than that of patients older than 15 years (4.12%), although this was not statistically significant (P=.387). For juvenile patients, disk repositioning by suturing through an open incision was an effective treatment. Early surgery can promote condylar regeneration and alleviate maxillofacial deformity in juvenile patients.