Dermal grafts of the temporomandibular joint: postoperative appearance on MR images

Complications may follow meniscectomy and placement of an allogenic implant in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. To characterize the anatomy of autogenous dermal grafts for repair and repositioning of the meniscus, the authors performed T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of 20 TMJs in 10 patients 6-23 months after surgery that was considered successful. MR imaging did not enable detection of the dermal grafts. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative MR images revealed little, if any, change in meniscal position. MR images of 20 menisci revealed anterior displacement (n = 11), normal position (n = 4), focal areas of increased signal intensity (n = 4), fragmentation (n = 2), and suboptimal visualization (n = 5). MR images of 20 condyles revealed normal features (n = 11), erosions (n = 2), early avascular necrosis (AVN) or subchondral cysts (n = 2), AVN (n = 3), an osteophyte (n = 1), and loss of bone (n = 2). One TMJ demonstrated increased soft tissue in the bilaminar zone.