Submissive Osteoarthrectomy in Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis- Subharti Experience

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of submissive osteoarthrectomy in temporomandibular ankylosis patients.Patients and method: A total 15 patients (20 joints) were operated under general anaesthesia and in these 15 patients 5 were male and 10 were female. Out of these 15 patients 10 were suffering from unilateral TMJ ankylosis and 5 were with bilateral TMJ ankylosis. The age of the patients was ranged from 10-19 years with mean of 12.53 years. After exposure ankylotic mass a gap of 6mm was created to achieve the satisfactory mouth opening followed by interposing the temporalis myofacial flap and pedicled buccal fat pad between the cut ends of the bone.Result: All the patients were followed post-surgery for a minimum duration of 24 months. The mean post-operative mouth opening of the patients was 32.45 mm after 2 years with significant improvement in contralateral excursive and protrusive movements. In this case series no significant sign of heterotrophic calcification or reankylosis was noted and anatomical shape of the condyle was also achieved in all cases.Conclusion: Submissive osteoarthrectomy is a modification in surgical technique for the release of temporomandibular joint ankylosis has considerable results in terms of functional and esthetic outcome