Next-Generation Temporomandibular Joint Prostheses: Bridging Bone, Muscle, and Soft-Tissue Integration

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and defects arising from trauma, ankylosis, tumour resection, or congenital deformity remain among the most demanding challenges in craniofacial reconstruction. Advances in high-resolution imaging, computer-aided design, and additive manufacturing have made patient-specific TMJ prostheses increasingly feasible, improving anatomical fit and restoring joint biomechanics. Yet long-term success depends on far more than mechanical accuracy. Stable biological interaction with the surrounding bone, muscle, and periarticular soft tissues is essential for durable function, particularly the restoration of muscle attachment needed for effective mastication. Current commercial systems offer limited solutions for muscle reattachment and remain vulnerable to stress shielding, wear, infection, and fibrotic encapsulation. This gap between engineering capability and biological integration defines the central challenge this Research Topic seeks to address.This Research Topic aims to advance the design, fabrication, surface engineering, and clinical translation of customized TMJ prostheses, with a distinctive emphasis on the muscle– and soft-tissue–implant interface. We invite work that moves beyond osseointegration to tackle the biological coupling of implants with the lateral pterygoid, masseter, temporalis, and adjacent periarticular tissues, including muscle reattachment, fibro-muscular interface formation, mechanobiological signalling, vascularization, and the control of inflammation and fibrosis. We equally welcome innovations that strengthen the engineering foundation, such as AI-assisted and patient-specific design, porous or graded architectures, biomechanical simulation, and antimicrobial or bioactive coatings. By connecting these themes, the collection seeks to bridge laboratory development and surgical practice, ultimately improving functional recovery and quality of life for patients undergoing TMJ reconstruction.We welcome themes include, but are not limited to:o Digital surgical planning, CAD/CAM workflows, finite element modelling, and AI-driven, patient-specific designo Additive manufacturing of porous, graded, or topology-optimized TMJ implant architectureso Antimicrobial, bioactive, and anti-fibrotic coating and surface-modification strategieso Muscle– and soft-tissue–implant integration, including tendon- or ligament-like anchorage and fibro-osseous interface formationo Biomaterials development and the biomechanical characterization of joint loading, wear, and stabilityNote: This Research Topic dose not consider Clinical Trials for publication. Topic editors: Hao Wu, Weidong Jiang, Hanyao Huang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83015/next-generation-temporomandibular-joint-prostheses-bridging-bone-muscle-and-soft-tissue-integration