Contralateral condylar remodeling following unilateral total temporomandibular joint replacement

The aim of this study was to investigate the three-dimensional bone remodeling of the contralateral condyle following unilateral temporomandibular joint replacement (TMJR) and to measure the positional stability of the condyle prosthesis postoperatively. The retrospective study included patients who received unilateral total TMJR and underwent computed tomography immediately after surgery (T1) and during long-term follow-up (T2). A total of 17 patients were included, with an average age of 26 (SD 3.6) years. The mean follow-up time was 13.2 (SD 5) months. The volume of the contralateral condyle decreased significantly after surgery by 139 (SD 98.9) mm³ (P < 0.001), with an average reduction of 9.3%. Bone resorption was observed on the posterior and superior surfaces of the condyle. Whether orthognathic surgery was performed simultaneously did not affect the remodeling trend of the contralateral joint. The average displacement of the condyle prosthesis in each direction was <1 mm. This study shows that after unilateral temporomandibular joint replacement, the volume of the contralateral condyle decreases significantly, and the position of the condylar prosthesis remained stable.