TMJ Open Joint Replacement Surgery
Open-joint surgery consists of opening an incision a few inches long over the joint so your surgeon may operate on the joint itself.
This type of TMJ surgery is usually reserved for a severe TMJ disorder that involves:
- a lot of tissue or bone growth that stops the joint from moving
- fusion of the joint tissue, cartilage, or bone (ankylosis)
- inability to reach the joint with arthroscopy
By performing open-joint surgery, our doctors are able to remove bony growths or excess tissue. They are also able to repair or reposition the disc if it’s out of place or damaged.
If your disc is beyond repair, a discectomy may be performed and your surgeon may replace your disc completely with an artificial disc or your own tissue.
When the bony structures of the joint are involved, the surgeon may remove some of the diseased bone of the jaw joint or the skull.
Open joint TMJ surgery has a longer recovery time than an arthrocentesis procedure. This surgery requires hospitalization but the success rate is still pretty high. A 2013 Study Trusted Source found a 71 percent improvement in pain and a 61 percent improvement in range of motion.
