What is a total joint replacement for the TMJ?
Total joint replacement for the TMJ, involves the removal of the actual joint and placing and artificial one in its place. this procedure is similar to a hip or knee replacement except on a much smaller scale. Dr. David Hoffman at the Staten Island University Hospital, has recently received an approval by the FDA to undertake a national study to Investigate a clinical trial on a newly developed prosthetic joint system. Dr. Hoffman working with Dr. Mike Pappas a world renown biomedical engineer in the area of artificial joints has developed a custom made TMJ joint replacement. The entire system is made utilizing the latest in computer technology, design and manufacturing. All the patients are initially scanned in a CT scanner, and the data is then incorporated into a Computer Aided Design workstation or a CAD. Once designed the parts are manufactured on a Computer Aided milling Machine or a CAM. The joint parts are then checked against a model of the patients skull, again made from the
