Use of computer-assisted templates for placement of osteotomies in lateral gap arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of computer-generated surgical templates for precise bone removal in the treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis with a medially displaced condyle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients found to have a medially displaced condylar head and lateral bony fusion from January 2012 through January 2014 were included in the study. ProPlan CMF 1.4 software (Materialise Medical, Leuven, Belgium) was used to design the osteotomies for the lateral bony fusion and protect the medial condylar head. Surgical templates were fabricated to transfer the design to the operation and effectiveness was evaluated postoperatively using computed tomographic (CT) scan comparisons. RESULTS: In 5 surgeries with a total of 7 joints, the surgical templates fit well and accurately guided the osteotomies. The skull base, external auditory canal, major vessels, and residual condyle were well protected. Postoperative CT difference analysis calculated an average difference of 1.044 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Computer-assisted surgical templates accurately guided bone removal and protected the residual condylar head, skull base, and external auditory canal in the treatment of TMJ ankylosis.