Autogenous dermal grafts for repair of temporomandibular joint disc perforations

In five Macaca fascicularis monkeys bilateral 5-mm perforations of the intra-articular disc were followed by unilateral repair with autogenous dermal grafts. The monkeys were killed at three, six, 12, 24, and 36 weeks after surgery. The temporomandibular joints (TMJs) were removed en bloc, decalcified, and sectioned in the sagittal plane for histologic examination. All of the control untreated disc perforations, with the exception of one, failed to heal. With all of the grafted disc perforations, viable dermis and fibrous connective tissue proliferation were seen in the area of the repaired perforation. Therefore, autogenous dermal grafting appears to be an acceptable technique for repair of the damaged disc in degenerative joint disease of the TMJ.