Ten-year retrospective review of long-term outcomes of temporomandibular joint arthroscopic discopexy with resorbable pins.

This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of arthroscopic discopexy using resorbable pins in the treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement over a 10-year follow-up period. A retrospective analysis was conducted on thirty-three patients who underwent arthroscopic discopexy with resorbable pins between January 2007 and November 2013. Clinical outcomes, including maximal interincisal opening (MIO), lateral movements (LM), protrusive movement (PM), joint pain with the visual analogue scale (VAS), joint locking, and clicking; were assessed at one, three, and six months and at 1.5 and 10 years postoperatively. The results showed significant improvements in MIO, increasing from 31.66 mm preoperatively to 45.50 mm at 10 years (p < 0.05). LM and PM also increased significantly, with PM improving from 3.63 mm to 6.21 mm (p < 0.001). Joint pain decreased substantially, with a mean improvement of 66.02 points on the VAS scale (p < 0.001). Joint locking and clicking were significantly reduced, with no locking observed at five and 10 years postoperatively (p < 0.001). These findings confirm that arthroscopic discopexy with resorbable pins provides durable clinical improvements in pain relief, mandibular function, and joint stability, over 10 years.