Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
3123224 | British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | 2013 | 5 Pages |
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a common cause of chronic facial pain that is often treated successfully without operation, but when no improvement is seen arthroscopy may be considered as a therapeutic and diagnostic tool. We prospectively assessed the outcome of 115 arthroscopic procedures to assess the effectiveness and reliability of a 1.2 mm disposable arthroscope (OnPoint™, Biomet Microfixation, Jacksonville, USA). All patients included had not improved after standard conservative management. Discharge from clinic was classed as a successful outcome. Measurements taken before, during, and after operation included mouth opening and lateral deviations (mm). Pain was assessed before and after operation using a 10 cm visual analogue scale. Mean improvement in pain scores was 69% and in mouth opening was 19%, and overall success was 76%. Compared with a previous study using a 1.9 mm scope there were fewer complications after arthroscopy with the small diameter scope.