Disk repositioning surgery of the temporomandibular joint with bioabsorbable anchor

The most common temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathologic disease is anterior-medial displacement of the articular disk, which can lead to TMJ-related symptoms.The indication for disk repositioning surgery is irreversible TMJ damage associated with temporomandibular pain. We describe a surgical technique using a preauricular approach with a high condylectomy to reshape the condylar head. The disk is anchored with a bioabsorbable microanchor (Mitek Microfix QuickAnchor Plus 1.3) to the lateral aspect of the condylar head. The anchor is linked with a 3.0 Ethibond absorbable suture to fix the posterolateral side of the disk above the condyle.The aims of this surgery were to alleviate temporomandibular pain, headaches, and neck pain and to restore good jaw mobility. In the long term, we achieved these objectives through restoration of the physiological position and function of the disk and the lower articular compartment.In our opinion, the bioabsorbable anchor is the best choice for this type of surgery because it ensures the stability of the restored disk position and leaves no artifacts in the long term that might impede follow-up with magnetic resonance imaging.