A new surgical classification for temporomandibular joint disorders

Abstract

The role of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery is ill-defined, so a universal classification is needed to collate the evidence required to justify the surgical interventions undertaken to treat TMJ disorders. The aim of this article is to introduce a new classification that divides TMJ disorders into 5 categories of escalating degrees of joint disease that can be applied to TMJ surgery. Using a category scale from 1 to 5, with category 1 being normal, and category 5 referring to catastrophic changes to the joint, the new classification will provide the basis for enhanced quantitative and descriptive data collection that can be used in the field of TMJ surgery research and clinical practice. It is hoped that this new classification will form the basis of what will eventually become the universal standard surgical classification of TMJ disorders that will be adopted by both researchers and clinicians so that ultimately, the role of TMJ surgery will be based on evidence rather than conjecture.