Temporomandibular Joint Discectomy in Patients With Disc Displacement: Assessment of Osteoarthritis at 10- and 30-Year Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: Few ≥ 10-year follow-up studies of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discectomy without replacement in patients with disc displacement (DD) analyse the relationship between the surgery and osteoarthritis (OA) exist. OBJECTIVES: To radiologically evaluate bony joint changes and OA development 10 and 30 years after TMJ discectomy as well as 30-year clinical outcome. METHODS: Twenty-two discectomy patients at the University of Oslo, Norway, with records confirming initial TMJ diagnosis and attendance of 10-year radiological follow-up were evaluated and eligible for 30-year follow-up. Primary variables: discectomy and CT-/CBCT-diagnosed OA at follow-ups. Secondary variables: perioperative TMJ diagnoses and remodelling at follow-up. Unoperated TMJs (Unop-TMJs) in unilaterally operated patients were controls. Statistical association and correlation analyses were performed for the 10-year follow-up (significance level p < 0.05). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients attended the 10-year follow-up (mean follow-up 11 years) with 27 operated TMJs (Op-TMJs) and 17 Unop-TMJs. OA perioperatively was associated with DD without reduction (p = 0.001) and additional disc abnormalities (p = 0.016). Although statistically non-significant, the number of TMJs with OA had increased at 10-year follow-up (p = 0.114, Op-TMJs: 14 to 20 joints; Unop-TMJs: 2 to 5 joints). Remodelling was correlated with discectomy (p = 0.003) and to OA (p = 0.006). Nine patients attended the 30-year follow-up (mean follow-up 32 years, 11 Op-TMJs). All TMJs with OA at 30-year follow-up had OA at 10-year follow-up. Mean maximal interincisal opening was 39 mm. No DC-TMD-diagnosed arthralgia was found. CONCLUSION: Osteoarthritis developed similarly between Op- and Unop-TMJs. Only remodelling, not OA, was correlated to the surgery. The clinical results were still favourable at final follow-up.

Does ultrasound elastography have a role as a diagnostic method for Sjögren's syndrome in the salivary glands? A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review was performed to examine the usefulness of salivary gland ultrasound elastography (USE) as a diagnostic tool for Sjögren's syndrome (SjS). METHODS: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science: Science Citation Index) were searched to identify studies using USE to diagnose SjS from database inception to 15 July 2022. The primary outcome was improved diagnostic accuracy for SjS with the use of USE. Risk of bias and applicability concerns were assessed using the GRADE system, which is continuously developed by the GRADE Working Group. RESULTS: Among 4550 screened studies, 24 full-text articles describing the applications of USE to diagnose SjS were reviewed. The overall risk of bias was determined to be low for 17 of the 24 articles, medium for 5, and high for 2. Articles comparing patients with SjS and healthy subjects reported high diagnostic accuracy of USE, with most results showed statistically significant differences (parotid glands: 15 of the 16 articles, submandibular glands: 11 of the 14 articles). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review suggests that the assessment of salivary glands using USE is a useful diagnostic tool for SjS.

Evidence for minimally invasive treatment-A systematic review on surgical management of disc displacement.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement (DD) has been established in different forms since over a century. Ther is a consensus to perform minimal invasive interventions as first-line surgical treatment since there are no evidence on best surgical practice yet. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to perform a complex systematic review (SR) on the topic-is there evidence for surgical treatment of TMJ DD? METHODS: The PICO was defined as DD patients (population), treated with different surgical interventions including arthrocentesis (intervention), compared with other or no treatment (control) regarding the outcome variables mandibular function, mouth opening capacity, TMJ pain, etcetera (outcome). For identification of prospective controlled trials and SRs, a search strategy was developed for application in three databases. RESULTS: The search yielded 4931 studies of which 56 fulfilled the stipulated PICO. Studies with low or moderate risk of bias were possible to include in meta-analyses. There were evidence suggesting arthrocentesis being more effective compared to conservative management (maximum interincisal opening (MIO): p < .0001, I2 = 22%; TMJ pain: p = .0003, I2 = 84%) and arthrocentesis being slightly more effective than arthrocentesis with an adjunctive hyaluronic acid injection (MIO: p = .04, I2 = 0%; TMJ pain: p = .28, I2 = 0%). Other treatment comparisons showed nonsignificant differences. The performed meta-analyses only included 2-4 studies each, which might indicate a low grade of evidence. CONCLUSION: Although arthrocentesis performed better than conservative management the findings should be interpreted cautiously, and non-invasive management considered as primary measure. Still, several knowledge gaps concerning surgical methods of choice remains.

Retrospective Study of Orbital and Orbitozygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures Treated at Aalesund Hospital Between 2002 and 2017.

Study Design: Retrospective study. Objective: To evaluate patient demographics, surgical management, and complications of orbital and orbitozygomaticomaxillary complex (OZMC) fractures treated at a district hospital in Norway. Methods: The medical records of patients with orbital fractures treated at Aalesund hospital between January 2002 and July 2017 were reviewed. Data on demographics, signs and symptoms, cause of injury, fracture type, associated fractures, surgical management, and complications were collected. Results: A total of 36 patients were reviewed. Males predominated (1:4.1), and fractures occurred mostly in patients 40-59 years (mean 41.8 years). Interpersonal violence was the leading cause of injury, followed by falls. Alcohol was significantly associated with assault caused fractures (P = .001). Orbitozygomaticomaxillary fractures were the most frequent, followed by pure orbital fractures. Clinical findings included periorbital ecchymosis (72%), swelling (56%), sensory nerve dysfunction (53%), diplopia (22%), and restricted eye motility (22%). Commotio cerebri was observed in more than half of our sample and 47% had other facial bone fractures. Referral to tertiary hospitals was done in 19% of the cases. The main treatment done was open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) (45%). Infection was diagnosed in 17% and managed with antibiotics. Conclusions: The incidence of orbital and OZMC fractures in Moere and Romsdal county in western Norway was low, occurring mainly in males over 40 years. The mechanism of injury was predominantly interpersonal violence and falls. A high proportion of the sample had minor traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Temporomandibular pain and quality of life assessment in adolescents in a Norwegian cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the prevalence of pain from the face and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and oral function in adolescents and contribute to more focus on this patient group. METHODS: A total of 957 adolescents were included in this study, in age cohorts 18, 16, and 14, scheduled for a dental recall examination. Clinical data were collected as a part of the routine clinical examination. All participants also answered a survey. RESULTS: Almost half of the participants had experienced facial pain in the last 3 months, headache being the most prevalent site reported. A significantly higher prevalence was found for females for all pain sites, and facial pain was significantly higher among the oldest. A reduced maximal incisal opening was significantly associated with higher reported facial/jaw pain, with increased mouth opening pain and chewing pain. Fifty-seven percent of the participants reported the use of nonprescription painkillers, highest among females, and in the oldest age cohort, mainly caused by nonfeverish headaches. General health was found to be negatively correlated to facial pain, headache, pain intensity, and duration, pain upon oral function, and oral movement, as well as the use of nonprescriptive drugs. Females in the older age group, experience less quality of life in general, as they felt more worried, anxious, lonely, and sad, compared to males. CONCLUSION: Facial- and TMJ pain was higher in females, and higher with increasing age. Almost half of the participants had experienced facial pain in the last 3 months, headache being the most prevalent site reported. General health was found to be negatively correlated to facial pain.

Surgical Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Derangement: 30-Year Follow-Up of Temporomandibular Joint Discectomy, a Case Report and Literature Review.

The improvement in diagnostic accuracy, improvement of the endoscopic equipment, better selection of patients for open TMJ surgery, and increased focus on research and education are promising for the treatment of the group of patients with TMJ derangements. In the future, prospective randomized clinical trials need to be performed to give the clinician guidelines as to which type of intervention should be chosen in a particular patient base on accepted criteria for diagnosis and treatment of TMJ derangement.

Effects of 1 year of training on the performance of ultrasonographic image interpretation: A preliminary evaluation using images of Sjögren syndrome patients.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effects of 1 year of training on imaging diagnosis, using static ultrasonography (US) salivary gland images of Sjögren syndrome patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involved 3 inexperienced radiologists with different levels of experience, who received training 1 or 2 days a week under the supervision of experienced radiologists. The training program included collecting patient histories and performing physical and imaging examinations for various maxillofacial diseases. The 3 radiologists (observers A, B, and C) evaluated 400 static US images of salivary glands twice at a 1-year interval. To compare their performance, 2 experienced radiologists evaluated the same images. Diagnostic performance was compared between the 2 evaluations using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: Observer A, who was participating in the training program for the second year, exhibited no significant difference in AUC between the first and second evaluations, with results consistently comparable to those of experienced radiologists. After 1 year of training, observer B showed significantly higher AUCs than before training. The diagnostic performance of observer B reached the level of experienced radiologists for parotid gland assessment, but differed for submandibular gland assessment. For observer C, who did not complete the training, there was no significant difference in the AUC between the first and second evaluations, both of which showed significant differences from those of the experienced radiologists. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results suggest that the training program effectively helped inexperienced radiologists reach the level of experienced radiologists for US examinations.

Incidence of alveolar osteitis after mandibular third molar surgery. Can inflammatory cytokines be identified locally?

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the relative incidence of alveolar osteitis (AO) after mandibular third molar surgery, post-operative findings and local expression of bone markers and cytokines. STUDY DESIGN: In 445 patients, unilateral surgical third molars extractions were undertaken (584 teeth). Bone markers and cytokines were explored at the AO side and on the un-operated contralateral side and compared with the levels in samples from a control group of 18 persons without AO. RESULTS: The relative incidence of AO was 4.6%. Patients (n = 27) with AO were invited to participate in the study and 21 (77.8%) did so. Patients with AO had 1-4 extra visits for treatment of AO, the mean follow-up time was 2.6 days for all patients. There were significantly higher levels of bone markers and cytokines in the AO site compared with the un-operated contralateral site, except for Epidermal growth factor (EGF). No significant difference in expression of bone markers and cytokines between the AO and control groups was found. Lower maximum inter-incisor opening (MIO) was correlated with increased Macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha. A negative correlation between patients' complaint of trismus and MIO was seen. CONCLUSIONS: The relative incidence of AO was low in our patient group treated with surgical removal of third molars. AO was more frequently seen in female patients. Treatment of AO required up to four extra visits. The study provides some information on the role of cytokines in AO; but further studies are required.

Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease: A case report with bilateral involvement of the temporomandibular joints and concurrence of psoriatic arthritis.

Calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate deposition (CPDD) disease very rarely affects the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It may resemble synovial chondromatosis, chondrosarcoma, chondroblastoma, or a parotid tumor. Clinical examination, CT, and MRI are important in making the correct diagnosis. Surgical removal of CPDD is necessary with or without excision of the TMJ.

A disease-focused view on the temporomandibular joint using a Delphi-guided process.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease classification and subsequent treatment selection are highly debated subjects within dentistry and medicine. Several suggestions for diagnostic classification and treatment algorithms have been proposed thus far without achieving a clear gold standard. A universally accepted diagnostic classification is essential for therapeutic decision-making as well as a prerequisite for prognostic evaluation and is necessary for achieving research results that are reproducible, comparable, relevant, and applicable in the clinical setting. Often, problems of the TMJ are viewed as mere symptoms or as a syndrome-like group of conditions, without clear demarcation, impeding individualized treatment planning. A Scandinavian group of experienced TMJ surgeons participated in an iterative, structured group discussion process in accordance with the Delphi method, aiming to produce recommendations for a standardized patient clinical evaluation in relation to TMJ dysfunction. Guided by this standardized evaluation, a disease-focused and simplified diagnostic classification scheme is herein suggested.

Self-exercise programmes and occlusal splints in the treatment of TMD-related myalgia-Evidence-based medicine?

BACKGROUND: The low-cost and reversible treatments concerning disorders of the masticatory muscles represent a vast array of regimens. Common treatments include information, stretching exercises, manual therapy, acrylic splints and cognitive behavioural therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the evidence behind the use of self-exercising programmes and occlusal splints in the treatment of myofascial pain. METHODS: We conducted a thorough search of five databases, using four cardinal search terms in combination with twelve supporting terms. We also assessed the evidence quality, using GRADEpro software. RESULTS: The search resulted in 4967 individual studies. 18 studies met the inclusion criteria and were re-evaluated. CONCLUSION: The selected studies were in favour of a self-care or an occlusal splint treatment of myalgia. However, a GRADE assessment showed that 14 of the 18 selected studies had low or very low evidence quality. Studies also showed weaknesses with regard to nomenclature and reproducibility. Hence, it is our professional opinion that the evidence level for prescribing self-exercises and occlusal splints in the treatment of myalgia is low.

The use of a tetracycline drain reduces alveolar osteitis: a randomized prospective trial of third molar surgery under local anesthetics and without the use of systemic antibiotics.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to investigate the effect of an oxytetracycline-impregnated gauze drain on the incidence of alveolar osteitis (AO) and postoperative pain during the first week after mandibular third molar surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Two hundred consecutive patients undergoing third molar surgery under local anesthesia were randomized into a drain group (n = 100), with an oxytetracycline-impregnated drain placed in the extraction socket, and a control group (n = 100). An experienced surgeon performed the surgery. Systemic antibiotics were not used. RESULTS: The incidence of AO was 23% in the control group and 5% in the drain group (P < .001). The risk of developing AO was approximately 6 times higher in the control group, and females had a 2.5 times higher risk compared with males. Patients in the control group had significantly more pain on the day of surgery and on days 4 to 7. The presence of AO was associated with continued use of analgesics (P < .001). No patients experienced postoperative infections or had complications requiring hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that an oxytetracycline-impregnated drain significantly reduced the incidence of AO after third molar surgery. The described treatment strategy, without the use of systemic antibiotics, seemed efficient in lowering overall postoperative morbidity and downtime after third molar surgery.

Long-term effectiveness of arthrocentesis with and without hyaluronic acid injection for treatment of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of intra-articular temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis for patients with osteoarthritis and compared arthrocentesis/lavage alone with arthrocentesis/lavage and injected hyaluronic acid. Forty patients met the inclusion criteria, and 37 completed long-term follow-up (approximately 4 years). The patients were randomly allocated to two groups: arthrocentesis with lavage alone (A-group, n = 17) or combined with hyaluronic acid treatment (AS-group, n = 20). Standard two-needle arthrocentesis was performed. Pain and joint sounds were measured at baseline and approximately 4 years after treatment. Reported pain, as indicated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score, significantly decreased from baseline to the final follow-up examination in both groups. Mean VAS score decreased from 64 to 16 (P < 0.001) in the A-group and from 63 to 25 (P < 0.001) in the AS-group. Average maximum incisor opening increased significantly in both groups but did not significantly differ between groups (P = 0.223). Joint sounds did not significantly improve within groups (A-group, P = 0.495; AS-group, P = 0.236). Both methods resulted in significant long-term improvements in pain and jaw function.

Treatment of diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis of the jaw with denosumab shows remarkable results-A report of two cases.

Denosumab may play a central role in the treatment of diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis of the mandible. This report describes two patients who had been treated unsuccessfully with antibiotics and steroids for several years. After denosumab treatment, both patients became pain-free and the radiological examination showed less severe osteomyelitis.

Prevalence, initiating factor, and treatment outcome of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw-a 4-year prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) has a wide range of prevalence, and a standard therapy has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and initiating factors of MRONJ and the outcomes of surgical therapy. STUDY DESIGN: In a prospective cohort study, all patients diagnosed with MRONJ in the Region of Skåne, in Sweden, were included. Predictor variables (comorbidity, site, stage, gender) and initiating factors (tooth extraction, periodontitis) were recorded. Surgical treatment was sequestrectomy or block resection, and the outcome variable was healing after 2 months. To estimate the prevalence, data on the use of bisphosphonate and denosumab were used. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients with MRONJ were identified. The prevalence of MRONJ was 0.043% among patients treated with oral bisphosphonates, 1.03% among those on intravenous bisphosphonates and 3.64% in those on high-dose denosumab. Periodontal disease preceded development of MRONJ in 41 patients. Fifty patients were treated surgically and followed up for at least 2 months. Remission or healing occurred in 80% of patients treated with sequestrectomy and in 92.5% of patients treated with block resection. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MRONJ in Sweden is low. Periodontitis is the most common initiating factor. The outcome of treatment of MRONJ is healing in most patients treated surgically.

Bacterial diversity in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study the association between microflora and medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) by using culture-independent molecular techniques to detect bacteria in necrotic bone lesions. STUDY DESIGN: Included were 18 consecutive patients with MRONJ, 10 with osteoporosis and 8 cancer patients. Bone biopsies were retrieved from the center of the necrotic bone and from visually healthy bone, and 16 S rRNA gene fragments from bacterial DNA were amplified with polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The study revealed a diversity of bacteria represented by 16 S rRNA sequences in all the necrotic bone samples and in 60% of the visually healthy bone. Eight dominating taxa groups were identified at the genus level: Porphyromonas, Lactobacillus, Tannerella, Prevotella, Actinomyces, Treponema, Streptococcus, and Fusobacterium. CONCLUSIONS: The necrotic bone lesions contained mainly anaerobic bacteria, representative of periodontal microflora, suggesting that a periodontal infection in combination with antiresorptive treatment could initiate osteonecrosis.

Mandibular third molar surgery in 396 patients at a Norwegian university clinic: Morbidity recorded after 1 week utilizing an e-infrastructure for clinical research.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate morbidity 1 week after mandibular third molar (3M) surgery in the authors' department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective 1-year clinical study of patients followed up for 1 week after 3M surgery was performed. Consecutive patients of 18 years or older having 3M surgery under local anaesthesia were included. Patients not able to attend a follow-up appointment after 1 week were excluded. Demographic data, indication for surgery and clinical findings were recorded. Outcome variables were days requiring analgesic, days absent from work/school and complications. All data recording was performed utilizing an e-infrastructure for clinical research (InReach, University Health Network, www.uhnsl.com). RESULTS: Three hundred and ninety-six patients were examined 1 week after surgery. Mean number of days requiring analgesics was 3.8 and mean number of days absent from work/school after surgery was 0.6. Minor complications were reported by 7% of patients. Female patients reported more days requiring analgesics compared to male patients. Smokers had a higher odds ratio for being absent ≥ 3 days. Prophylactic removal of 3Ms was associated with fewer days requiring analgesics and days absent from work/school as compared to teeth with local disease. CONCLUSION: Overall morbidity after 3M surgery was low. Compared to patients subjected to therapeutic removal of 3Ms, patients undergoing prophylactic removal seem to have less pain and a faster return to normal activities.

Ultrasonographic pilot study of mental foramen size, with and without postoperative neurosensory dysfunction.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the ability of a portable ultrasound system to visualize the mental foramen in patients with unilateral neurosensory dysfunction after third molar removal. STUDY DESIGN: In 20 patients, an ultrasound scanner (13 MHz linear-array transducer) was used to measure the mental foramen. The anteroposterior diameter was calculated on both sides, and differences between injured and contralateral sides were tested. Intrarater and interrater reliability were calculated using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: We found a relatively high reliability on interindividual observations (ICC ≥0.89) and intraindividual observations (ICC ≥0.76). The average diameter on the injured sides was significantly smaller than the control sides. Subjective sensibility was not significantly correlated to the dimension of the mental foramen. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a reduced size of the mental foramen, as determined by ultrasonography, in patients with permanent neurosensory dysfunction. These findings have to be verified in a larger number of patients.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients treated with oral and intravenous bisphosphonates: experience in Sweden.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence, inciting factors, and treatment outcomes of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) during the 2003-2010 period in southern Sweden (population, approximately 1.2 million people). STUDY DESIGN: Patient records were searched for inflammatory conditions including unspecified inflammation, osteomyelitis, osteonecrosis due to drugs, and other osteonecrosis. Data on underlying disease, type of bisphosphonate (BP), inciting factor, location, stage, treatment, and treatment outcomes were collected. RESULTS: Of the 341 patients identified, 55 had been diagnosed with BRONJ. Those with a malignant disease were treated with intravenous BPs, and those with osteoporosis were treated with oral BPs. All but 5 were treated with antibiotics and 47 with local resection. Healing was recorded in 79% of patients with osteoporosis and in 26% of patients with malignant disease. CONCLUSIONS: Healing in patients with osteoporosis occurred more frequently than in patients with a malignant disease treated with intravenous BPs (P = .00009).

Low risk of neurosensory dysfunction after mandibular third molar surgery in patients less than 30 years of age. A prospective study following removal of 1220 mandibular third molars.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims were to estimate the prevalence of neurosensory dysfunction (NSD) and identify risk factors for NSD after mandibular third molar (M3) removal. STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective cohort study 864 patients had their M3 removed. Age, gender, surgeon's experience, and radiographic findings were recorded and the outcome variables were NSD and data analyses. RESULTS: In 884 patients, 1220 M3 were removed. Fourteen patients reported NSD postoperatively; 10 inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury, 3 lingual nerve (LN) and 1 had injury to both. After 5 years the number of patients with NSD of the IAN had decreased to 5, but no change in the LN. CONCLUSION: Age and cortical line interruption were significantly associated with the risk of developing sensory dysfunction. All patients younger than 30, and 3 of 8 patients older than 30, had full recovery of the IAN injury. NSD of the LN persisted in all patients.