Implant Coating May Ease TMJ
It is estimated that 10 million Americans, the majority of them women, suffer pain and dysfunction in and near the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects the jaw to the skull. TMJ disorder can cause a wide variety of painful symptoms, including clicking or popping of the jaw joints and pain in or around the joints. In some cases, wear debris from current TMJ devices has caused accelerated deterioration of the articulating surfaces, and particles from the implants have migrated into surrounding areas, causing eye and nerve damage. A three-year, $900,000 grant has been awarded to UAB physics professor Yogesh Vohra, Ph.D. to study the effectiveness of diamond coatings on TMJ implants. "This study should provide the information necessary to successfully modify existing metal-on-metal implants and could lead to the design of a new type of TMJ device with optimum wear properties."
Contact Jennifer Park, Media Relations, 205-934-3888 or [email protected].
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