ALLOPLASTIC RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT

Temporomandibular joint reconstruction (TMJR) isoften necessary for patients with severe and/or refractoryTMJ disease who have failed conservative treatment. TMJRaids to improve masticatory function and is associated withimproved quality of life outcomes. Currently, alloplasticreconstruction is considered as the treatment of choicein most severe TMJ disorders due to its many advantagesinclusive but not limited to early mobilization, stable longtermresults, and significant improvement in jaw function.Broadly speaking, two types of TMJR prostheses areavailable for reconstruction: 1) stock, and, 2) custommadeprostheses. The purpose of this article is to providethe reader with a brief overview of the basic principlesand fundamentals of TMJR while referencing pertinentexisting literature.