Published online May 6, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i13.4264
Peer-review started: October 8, 2021
First decision: December 10, 2021
Revised: December 16, 2021
Accepted: March 16, 2021
Article in press: March 16, 2022
Published online: May 6, 2022
Condylar osteophytes, a remodeling form of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA), mainly manifest as marginal angular outgrowths of the condyle. Previous researchers have advocated surgical removal of condylar osteophytes. Reports on the effect of occlusal splint on TMJ OA patients’ joints have mostly focused on treatment with this splint, which can reduce the absorption of the affected condyle and promote repair and regeneration. However, the effect of the splint on the dissolution of condylar osteophytes has not yet been reported.
A 68-year-old female patient suffered from occlusal discomfort with left facial pain for 2 years. Cone beam computed tomography showed a rare osteophyte on top of her left condyle. She was finally diagnosed with TMJ OA. The patient refused surgical treatment and received conservative treatment with a muscle balance occlusal splint. The pain experienced by the patient on the left side of her face was relieved, and her chewing ability recovered after treatment. The osteophyte dissolved, and the condylar cortex remained stable during long-term follow-up observations.
The muscle balance occlusal splint could be a noninvasive means of treating condylar osteophytes in TMJ OA patients.
Core Tip: Cylindrical osteophytes on the top of the condyle are rare. This is the first report to describe the treatment of condylar osteophyte with an occlusal splint, which may pose a challenge to the traditional application of surgical intervention in the treatment of osteophytes. The effect of occlusal splints on osteophytes is unclear.