The short-term effect of discectomy on the osteoarthrotic temporomandibular joint in sheep

The short-term effect of discectomy on osteoarthrotic joints was tested experimentally in sheep. Bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthrosis was induced, and at 3 months discectomy was performed on one joint, with the other being left as a control. Neither masticatory nor mouth-opening disturbances had been found after discectomy. The animals were killed at 6 months, and the TMJs were removed, fixed, and assessed radiologically, macroscopically, and histologically. The control joints showed ongoing degenerative changes consistent with previous reports. The discectomy joints showed marked fibrous repair with joint surface remodelling rather than ongoing degeneration. This result is consistent with the clinical findings after discectomy for osteoarthrotic joints.