Radiology, Vol 180, 749-753, Copyright © 1991 by Radiological Society of North America
Temporomandibular joint after meniscoplasty: appearance at MR imaging
WF Conway, CW Hayes, RL Campbell, DM Laskin and KS Swanson
Department of Radiology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond 23298- 0615.
Twenty-five temporomandibular joints (TMJs) were studied in 20 patients who
had undergone meniscoplasty. In all patients, preoperative magnetic
resonance (MR) images showed anteriorly dislocated disks; all patients
underwent a similar postoperative MR examination an average of 6 months
after surgery. The results of these studies were correlated with clinical
results of surgery, which were classified as poor, fair, good, or excellent
at follow-up MR imaging. In 10 TMJs (eight patients [40%]) the clinical
results were excellent or good; in 15 TMJs (12 patients [60%]), fair or
poor. The position of the disk relative to its preoperative position was a
good discriminator in determination of the clinical success of
meniscoplasty. After surgery, in all patients with good or excellent
results, the disks appeared to be in a normal or an improved position
compared with that prior to surgery; in those with poor or fair results,
the TMJs had anteriorly dislocated disks that showed no improvement.
