Comparison of Costochondral Graft and Customized Total Joint Reconstruction for Treatments of Temporomandibular Joint Replacement

PURPOSE: We review published research on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) total replacement that compares costochondral graft and customized total joint reconstruction (especially TMJ concepts), focusing on effectiveness. METHODS: We searched PubMed databases, including prospective, retrospective, case-control or longitudinal studies and significant statistical analysis. In data analysis, we divided outcomes into ‘Acceptable’ or ‘Non-acceptable’. RESULTS: There were seven articles found dealing with costochondral graft and 180 patients. The majority of patients had satisfactory treatment outcomes (n=109, 61%). There were six articles including 275 patients using the alloplastic material TMJ concepts. Almost all patients had satisfactory treatment outcomes (n=261, 95%). CONCLUSION: Comparing customized total joint reconstruction with costochondral graft, use of TMJ concepts resulted in increased quality of life and fewer complications. In conclusion, we judged that alloplastic material such as TMJ concepts is more effective device in total joint replacement than costochondral graft.