Preoperative clinical and magnetic resonance imaging-based predictors of outcomes after arthroscopic discopexy for temporomandibular joint disc displacement.

This study investigated whether preoperative clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics can predict disc repositioning after arthroscopic discopexy for anterior disc displacement in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Data corresponding to 193 TMJs were retrospectively collected from 127 patients who underwent holmium:YAG laser-assisted arthroscopic discopexy at the study hospital between 2022 and 2024. The primary outcome was postoperative disc position as assessed through MRI. Clinical and MRI data were used to develop and validate a nomogram through bootstrap resampling. Changes in disc length were measured to assess disc remodeling. Postoperative MRI revealed optimal repositioning in 112 TMJs. Multivariate analysis indicated age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.041; p = 0.010), absence of spontaneous disc reduction (OR: 3.164; p = 0.009), and rotational displacement (OR: 1.901; p = 0.038) as independent predictors of persistent disc displacement. The nomogram exhibited good performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.702). Postoperative disc elongation was strongly and negatively associated with preoperative disc length (r = -0.483; p < 0.001) and positively associated with displacement distance (r = 0.305; p < 0.001). These findings indicate that preoperative clinical and MRI characteristics can predict outcomes after arthroscopic discopexy.