Extended total temporomandibular joint reconstruction prosthesis: A comprehensive analysis.

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Alloplastic total temporomandibular joint replacement (TMJR) is standard for end-stage TMJ diseases.
• Extended TMJR (eTMJR) prostheses offer enhanced skull base or mandibular component extension.
• eTMJR addresses large craniofacial defects, necessitating a review of its application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utilization of the extended TMJR (eTMJR) prosthesis.
• To analyze its application in treating extensive craniofacial defects.
• To assess patient characteristics, outcomes, and complications associated with eTMJR.

Main Methods:

• PRISMA-guided data mining across PubMed, Google Scholar, Dimensions, Semantic Scholar, and Web of Science.
• Inclusion of case reports, case series, and retrospective studies.
• Analysis of patient demographics, functional outcomes, and post-operative complications.

Main Results:

• A total of 56 eTMJR prostheses were implanted in 49 patients (mean age 36.02±16.54 years).
• Most frequent indications were ameloblastoma and hemifacial microsomia.
• Significant variations in eTMJR prosthesis component width and length were observed; prosthesis class was often unreported.

Conclusions:

• eTMJR prosthesis implantation is infrequent in craniofacial reconstruction.
• Standardization of eTMJR prosthesis classification and component dimensions is lacking.
• Further research is needed to optimize eTMJR design and application for complex defects.