Tissue and Clinical Characterisation of Temporomandibular Joint Diseases

Overview

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases or dysfunctions affects many patients. Surgical treatment is planned when non-invasive interventions have failed. Still, much is not known regarding aetiology of TMJ diseases and how and why the disease develops over time. The study aims to investigate synovial tissue, synovial fluid and clinical characteristics for patients with TMJ diseases or dysfunctions designated for surgery. Patient samples and clinical variables will be analysed in relation to TMJ diagnosis and related to surgical outcome. The study is a cohort observational study.

TMJ disc displacement is common, affecting 20-30% of the population. Some of these patients will eventually need health-care attention. Patients with TMJ osteoarthritis (OA) or chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA) are not that common, prevalence numbers are lacking. These TMJ diseases or dysfunctions can severely affect the patients' well-being because of local pain, chewing problems, psychosocial impact, amongst others. Treatment is primarily non-invasive to its character where orthotic splint, physiotherapy, medication, or other treatments can be evaluated. Patients who do not respond to these efforts might have surgery. Arthroscopy is a minimal invasive intervention with a described success rate from 50-90%. From the patients', the society and the surgeons' point of view, better individual pre-operative prognostication is valuable. TMJ disc displacement, OA and CIA is not fully characterised in terms of aetiopathogenesis. There are studies investigating components of extra cellular matrix and cytokines TMJ. The multitude of proteins still not studied may contribute in an unknown fashion to new insights in aetiology and to new treatment opportunities. The aim of the study is to characterise synovial tissue, synovial fluid, and clinical parameters and relate them to the specific TMJ diagnosis but also to each others. A secondary aim is to relate the outcome of surgery to both clinical and tissue variables in order to determine if there are factors that might function as predictors of outcome. A tertiary aim is to investigate if patients who suddenly develops disc displacement without reduction (DDwoR) without any prior signs or symptoms from the TMJ differs in their tissue or clinical characteristics compared to patients who develops DDwoR after having prior signs or symptoms from the TMJ.