Arthroscopy of the temporomandibular joint. Examination of 2 patients with suspected disk derangement.

2 patients with a history of reciprocal temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking were visually examined with arthroscopy of their right side TMJs. Clinical and radiographic examination revealed no signs of arthrosis deformans. One patient with significantly reduced opening ability combined with occasional disappearance of TMJ clicks showed advanced arthrotic changes of cartilage which were not visible radiographically. The other patient with unimpaired function also had a severe arthrotic lesion in the clicking joint. In neither case did the disk appear to be displaced. It is concluded that arthroscopy yields additional information for TMJ diagnosis which cannot be achieved by clinical and radiographic examination alone.