Temporomandibular joint discectomy for treatment of unilateral internal derangements--a 5 year follow-up evaluation.

Fifteen fully dentated patients with pain and functional impairment due to unilateral temporomandibular joint disc displacements, who had undergone unsuccessful nonsurgical treatment, were treated with discectomies without any disc substitutes and followed for 5 years. Their contralateral temporomandibular joints were without any clinical or radiographic evidence of pathology. Functional pain was reduced and mandible opening ability increased although a full range of motion was not restored. This study verified that discectomies can reduce pain on chewing, however, pain at rest was not significantly changed. At 5 years 87% of the patients fulfilled the criteria for a successful result of TMJ surgery.