Materialise Launches a Personalized TMJ Total Arthroplasty System

Materialise has launched its Personalized TMJ Total Arthroplasty System, a solution to treat patients requiring total temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthroplasty. It’s a solution that combines implants, guides and digital planning to streamline patient-specific TMJ treatment, all sourced from a single company. This solution provides a personalized treatment for patients facing severe TMJ complications that require a joint replacement.

The TMJ is where the skull and jawbone meet, enabling the jaw to open and close. A clinical study with patients who have already received the personalized TMJ prosthesis showed improvement in their quality of life, pain levels, satisfaction and eating ability compared to presurgery, with accurate implant placement reported in 97% of cases. Within the same clinical study, clinicians reported a 100% success rate for the TMJ system 1 year after surgery.

“Our TMJ Total Arthroplasty System provides a completely personalized solution. It allows the seamless transfer of the virtual preoperative surgical plan to the operation room, enabling the functional reconstruction of the temporomandibular joint,” says Maarten Zandbergen, Market Manager CMF at Materialise. “This comprehensive solution offers clinicians full support for this complex procedure. It truly facilitates personalized treatment by providing a complete system including virtual planning software and clinical engineering support, as well as surgical guides, screws and the implant itself.”

Materialise’s TMJ system is based on a fully digital process, ensuring efficiency and accuracy based on the patient’s anatomy. Clinicians work with Materialise’s experienced clinical engineers, who perform the digital planning process in close collaboration with the surgeon. The solution is sourced from Materialise, making it compatible with the company’s full personalized craniomaxillofacial (CMF) solutions and expanding access to personalized treatment.

“Our implants, instruments, 3D planning technology and clinical support empower surgeons as they strive to achieve precise and reliable outcomes,” says Martijn Orye, CMF market specialist. “Personalized solutions are becoming the primary choice for more challenging or complex cases such as TMJ replacements. Our complete solution streamlines and speeds up what used to be a slow personalization process with other providers.”

The digitalized workflow starts with a patient’s CT scan and dental information. During an interactive online session, a Materialise clinical engineer supports the treating physician in surgical planning and device design. As soon as planning and device design has been finalized, Materialise manufactures the personalized TMJ implant in its facilities, providing the surgeon with implants and instruments for surgery.

Materialise’s personalized TMJ Total Arthroplasty System is currently available to surgeons in Europe, the UK, and Brazil*, and additional information about the solution can be found here.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.