PubMed1987
The treatment of the chronic diseases of the temporomandibular joint is always difficult. At one moment or another, surgical treatment is discussed, proposed and performed. Many operations have been described to make the temporo-mandibular joint recovering its normal movements. Both joints are involved in those movements, because the joint is symmetrical. Myrhaug's technique, described in 1951, consists in the resection of all the temporal condyle. This technique which respects the meniscus and all the chondro-fibrous system of the joint creates a permanent and reducible chronic dislocation of the joint. This paper is made to show that under an experience of more than 60 operations the authors can give all the details they use, with some modifications of the original Myrhaug's technique. The authors give their own results over 60 operations: there are more than 70% of good or excellent results, without any complication. For all the cases they have operated and they present, the follow-up is more than one year and some times more than ten years. They have not seen any late complication and the results have not been modified after all that time. The main indication of this technique is the temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome which affects more the female population. This syndrome is made of an association of pain, cracking, abnormal movements and subdislocations, but pain is only one of the symptoms. The same operation is very efficient to treat chronic subdislocations affecting one or both joints. This Myrhaug's technique operation is very simple without any complication in the post-operative days and give very good results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)