Treatment of temporomandibular joint ankylosis by a modified fossa prosthesis

Background and objective: Treatment of temporomandibular joint ankylosis is a challenge and suffers from a high incidence of recurrence. Although treatment of ankylosis has been tried as early as nearly 200 years ago, no single technique produced satisfactory results. An alternative technique and a modified spacer system are described in this paper. Material and methods: Fifteen patients, nine of whom had unilateral and the remaining six had bilateral ankylosis were evaluated. Modified fossa implants were used in all cases. Results: The highest incidence of ankylosis was observed in the 11-20 year age group (nine patients). Falls during childhood was the common aetiological factor. Eight patients had been previously operated upon., Postoperative interinsicial opening values were remarkably different from the preoperative ones and the long-term results were satisfactory. Conclusion: With continued research and development in the treatment of ankylosis, temporomandibular joint implants will become more predictable and reliable. This specially designed fossa implant seems to be promising in the treatment of TMJ ankylosis. (C) 2004 European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery.