Persistent Pain Following Proplast-Teflon Implants of the Temporomandibular Joint: A Case Report and 35-Year Management Perspective

Bavarian R, Schatman ME, Keith DA.
J Pain Res. 2021 Sep 27;14:3033-3046.
doi: 10.2147/JPR.S329123.
PMID: 34611434; PMCID: PMC8486010.
https://www.dovepress.com/persistent-pain-following-proplast-teflon-implants-of-the-temporomandi-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR

Over three decades ago, hundreds of predominantly young women with temporomandibular joint pain and other symptoms were implanted with a prosthetic device composed of Proplast-Teflon that subsequently caused considerable harm, with patients developing chronic pain, dysfunction, and disability. This perspective review presents such a patient who suffered for decades with severe pain despite extensive pharmacotherapy, injection therapy, multiple surgeries, and behavioral health interventions. The details of the origin and subsequent events regarding the use of Proplast-Teflon interpositional implants in the temporomandibular joint are described with resources from several different perspectives. The lessons learned demonstrate failures at the federal, professional, and individual level.

Keywords: Proplast-Teflon; chronic pain; implants; medicolegal; risk management; temporomandibular joint replacement; temporomandibular joint surgery.