Temporomandibular joint ankylosis caused by mastoiditis:

Presentation of a rare case and literature review

Abdulaziz Al Weteid BDS, MSc , Asma El Ekrish, BDS, 
Khalid Al Mutairi, BDS , Sultan Al Foghm, BDS
Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Riyadh Dental Center, Riyadh Medical Complex, Riyadh, KSA

Ankylosis is a Greek word meaning a stiff joint. Temporomandibular joint ankylosis is the development of complete or incomplete limitation of movement of the temporomandibular joint by bone or fibrous tissue. There are many predisposing factors that contribute to ankylosis, including age of the patient, trauma to the mandible, damage to the articular disc and duration of immobilization following fracture of the mandible. The articular disc can be damaged by trauma, infection or neoplasm. The etiology and treatment of temporomandibular joint ankylosis have been well documented in the literature, with trauma and infection being the leading causes. A rare case of temporomandibular joint ankylosis in a young girl is presented. It was an infection sequela following otitis media and mastoiditis.

Treatment consisted of resecting the ankylosed joint, bilateral coronoidectomy and replacement of the resected condyle with a costochondral graft and an interpositional temporalis muscle graft.

Treatment outcome was satisfactorily successful with a mouth opening of 3.2 cm two years following the surgery.

Saudi Dental Journal 2000;12(2):103-105.