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A group from the University of Pittsburgh used small intestinal submucosa (SIS) to regenerate the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in skeletally mature dogs

Animals had their TMJ discs experimentally removed and replaced with SIS. 
The TMJ is the main connection between the skull and the jawbone. TMJ dysfunction occurs in 5 to 12% of people,1 with approximately 2 to 8% of these experiencing a condition known as meniscus displacement without reduction, or a “closed-lock” of the jaw, a condition which limits the opening of the jaw.2 Various interventions have been used for the management of patients with TMJ disc displacement without reduction, but their clinical effectiveness remains unclear.3
A group of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, manufactured an extracellular matrix (ECM) device from porcine SIS under good manufacturing practices (GMP) and tested it in a pre-clinical animal study under good laboratory practices (GLP). Their primary goals were to evaluate the in vivo histopathological response to the device as compared to a control and to evaluate the effects on clinical pathology, mortality, and body weight change. TMJ discs were removed from both TMJs in each experimental animal, but only one was repaired with the SIS device. Three weeks after implantation, devices and control joints were removed, and tissues were evaluated by a board-certified veterinary pathologist. 

Histology results demonstrated no negative effects to the surrounding tissue and no adverse effects related to mortality, body weight change, or clinical pathology. While this study was able to demonstrate short-term safety of this TMJ replacement, future studies with longer term follow-up will be required to gain US FDA approval for this method of treating this painful and debilitating condition. 

1 National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Updated July 2018. Accessed August 30, 2022. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/facial-pain/prevalence

2 Chung WL, Brown BN, Almarza AJ. Decellularized small intestine submucosa device for temporomandibular joint meniscus repair: Acute timepoint safety study. PLoS One 2022;17(8):e0273336.

3 Al-Baghdadi M, Durham J, Araujo-Soares V, Robalino S, Errington L, Steele J. TMJ disc displacement without reduction management: A systematic review. J Dent Res. 2014;93(7 Suppl):37S-51S.