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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Image-guided minimally invasive surgical access to the temporomandibular joint: A preliminary report
Richie W K Yeung1, James J Xia, Nabil Samman
1Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. rwkyeung@hkusua.hku.hk
Purpose:
To establish a protocol for image-guided minimally invasive surgical access to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Materials And Methods:
This study involved 2 patients with TMJ pain and mandibular motion dysfunction. Axial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the TMJ was obtained and loaded into an intra-operative navigation system to guide joint space injection. With a navigated syringe, 1 mL synvisc Hylan G-F 20 was directly injected into the superior and inferior joint spaces under navigation guidance.
Results:
With the assistance of an intraoperative navigational system, the TMJ MRI images were visualized in 3 dimensions and enabled guiding a needle into the superior and inferior joint spaces for therapeutic injection. The treatment outcome for both patients was satisfactory with improvement in pain score and mandibular motion.
Conclusions:
A protocol for image-guided minimally invasive surgical access to the TMJ was established. This could provide the technical basis for evaluation of accurate joint space intervention as a form of treatment of appropriate TMJ disorders.
