New micro-scoping technique transforms jaw disorder diagnosis in dogs

The UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital has become the first veterinary hospital in the world to clinically use nano-arthroscopy on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) patients, adopting the technique as its new standard protocol of care for diagnosing jaw joint disorders in dogs.

Disorders of the TMJ have long been known to contribute to orofacial pain, limiting dogs' ability to eat, drink, vocalize, use their mouths for normal activities, and maintain a good quality of life. Treatment of TMJ conditions—such as cancerous tumors, severe inflammatory diseases, and septic arthritis—has progressed significantly over the past decade due to dedicated veterinary research, and now includes nano-arthroscopy.¹

Arthroscopy works by inserting a tiny camera into the tissue, but in this case, the narrow TMJ structure, allowing for direct visualization and inspection of the joint's internal anatomy. It also permits real-time observation and the collection of tissue samples for biopsies. Previously, veterinary professionals relied primarily on computed tomography (CT) and/or positron emission tomography (PET) scans for this type of imaging. While valuable for viewing bone and soft tissue, these scans cannot show articular surfaces, the surrounding synovial membrane, or allow for a physical biopsy.

In 2023, Boaz Arzi, DVM, DAVDC, DEVDC, FF-AVDC-OMFS, chief of the hospital's Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service, became the first non-physician admitted to the American Society of TMJ Surgeons.¹ Through that network, he connected with human oral surgeons who had been using nano-arthroscopy as standard practice for years. Arzi, together with colleague Stephanie Goldschmidt, DVM, DAVDC, and orthopedic surgeons Po-Yen Chou, BVM, MVM, MS, DACVS-SA, and Barbro Filliquist, DVM, DACVS(SA), DECVS, set out to translate the technique to veterinary patients. Their research, recently published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, traces the journey from initial cadaver studies to clinical use in medium- and large-breed dogs.²

All four clinical cases performed so far have yielded positive results and meaningful clinical insights.

“Each one of these cases showed significant findings,” Arzi said. “We have never looked at the joint in this way through a scope, and our discoveries are promising. In fact, we identified a disease in one of the cases—immune-mediated TMJ arthritis—that we did not even know existed in that clinical format in dog joints. Theoretically, I knew it could happen, but I had never seen it until the use of this scope.”

UC Davis is now working to spread the technique beyond its own walls. The hospital recently hosted the first-ever TMJ Arthroscopy Workshop, training residents and oral and maxillofacial surgery fellows from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University.

The current scope measures just 1.9 millimeters and is inserted through a small incision in the jaw. Because of these tight spatial constraints, frontiers still lie ahead: no scope yet exists small enough for cats or small-breed dogs, an advancement that will likely require small fiber-optic technology. Additionally, while veterinary use is currently diagnostic, human medicine already employs the technology operatively to repair damaged or displaced TMJ discs. Arzi hopes those advanced interventions will eventually reach veterinary patients too, making this tiny camera the start of something much bigger.

“Given its novelty in veterinary medicine—UC Davis is the only facility currently using it in a clinical setting—we recently held the first-ever TMJ Arthroscopy Workshop for our residents and oral and maxillofacial surgery fellows from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University,” Arzi concluded.¹ “We look forward to sharing and advancing this new application even more in the future.”

References

1. Warren R. Nano-arthroscopy now in use for diagnosis of jaw joint disorders in dogs. UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. June 8, 2026. Accessed June 15, 2026. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/nano-arthroscopy-now-use-diagnosis-jaw-joint-disorders-dogs
2. Arzi B, Goldschmidt S, Chrostek E, Duong MV, Filliquist B, Chou PY. A needle arthroscopy approach to the temporomandibular joints in dogs. Front Vet Sci. 2026;13:1760965. doi:10.3389/fvets.2026.1760965