Outcomes of Minimally Invasive TMJ Procedures: A New Quantitative Assessment Applied to 9 Published Studies

In the last 4 decades, the effectiveness of minimally invasive TMJ surgery has been demonstrated in dozens of peer-reviewed articles, with typical success rates of 70-90%.1-4 However, a definition of “success” for TMJ surgery lacks standardization. Important parameters that are used to determine outcomes include changes in maximal incisal opening (MIO), an objective measure, and changes in pain (VAS), a subjective, patient-reported measure. Potential flaws in measuring surgical outcomes incl ude the following: a) an increase in a patient's MIO may not occur with a decrease in pain, and conversely, reduction in pain may not be accompanied with an increase in MIO, b) the relative importance of each parameter is also dependent on the baseline value prior to surgery.
Source: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research