Temporomandibular joint replacement: a New Zealand perspective

Alloplastic total temporomandibular joint replacement (TMJ TJR) has been performed in New Zealand utilizing the TMJ Concepts patient-fitted system since 2000. The data analysed in this study were collected retrospectively from questionnaires sent to all maxillofacial surgeons in New Zealand who had implanted TMJ Concepts devices between 2000 and 2011. A total of 63 devices were implanted in 42 patients (13 males, 29 females) during this 12-year period. The primary indication for TMJ TJR was end-stage joint disease resulting from ankylosis and arthritis. The mean age of the patients was 47 years (range 7–80 years). The most common complication reported was transient facial nerve impairment in 4.8% of the patients. Objective results, measured as the maximal incisional opening, improved by a mean of 17.3 mm (P < 0.01); 90% of patients reported improved quality of life. New Zealand oral and maxillofacial surgeons have concluded that TMJ TJR using the TMJ Concepts prosthesis is a reliable treatment option for the management of end-stage TMJ disease.