Prospective study of modified condylotomy for treatment of nonreducing disk displacement

Objective. This study was performed to provide an objective assessment of the outcome of modified condylotomy for treatment of the painful temporomandibular joint with nonreducing disk displacement (Wilkes late stage III, IV, V). Study design. A prospective study of 31 consecutive patients (43 joints) was conducted. All patients had nonreducing disk displacement verified by means of disk imaging. Independent evaluations were performed to assess pain, dysfunction, and progression of disease. The examinations were performed before modified condylotomy and at intervals up to 1 year after the operation. Eighteen patients (26 joints) completed the required examinations. Patient-based assessments were completed for pain and diet on 15 of these 18 patients (23 joints) 3 years after the operation. Results. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores (mean ± SE) for pain improved from 7.4 ± 0.4 before modified condylotomy to 2.4 ± 0.5 1 year later (P