Anterior pedicle temporalis muscle flap interposition in the treatment of TMJ disorders

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are a common reason for consultation. Failure of medical treatments sometimes leads to the need for one of many surgical alternatives. Our purpose was to evaluate the results of anterior pedicle temporalis muscle flap interposition in the treatment of TMJ disorders. For this prospective study, we selected 18 patients who underwent TMJ surgery involving the interposition of a temporalis muscle flap according to a standardized technique, between January 1, 2009 and August 31, 2014. CT imaging was performed on all patients prior to surgery. We documented the etiology of TMJ dysfunction, pre and postoperative pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS), pre and postoperative (last consultation) mouth opening, and complications. We used the Wilcoxon test for our statistical analysis. We observed a significant variation in preoperative and postoperative pain and mouth opening, with an average decrease in VAS values of 4.9/10 and an average increase of mouth opening of 11.1 mm. No major complications were observed. The interposition of an anterior pedicle temporalis muscle flap in the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorder is a simple and effective technique.