The use of acrylic marbles for interposition arthroplasty in the treatment of temporomandibular joint ankylosis: follow-up of 47 cases

Abstract

This is a retrospective analysis of 47 patients (21 males, 26 females) with osseous or fibro-osseous temporomandibular joint ankylosis, who were referred to our clinic between 1981 and 1998. In all cases, an acrylic marble was used as the interpositional material to prevent recurrence after aggressive resection of the ankylotic mass. The mean mouth opening was 15.65 mm preoperatively and 32.48 mm postoperatively. Complications during the follow-up period, which ranged from 1 to 17 years, included reankylosis in three cases and extrusion and displacement of the acrylic marbles in two cases. The method produced good results and we believe that it is a simple alternative to other interposition arthroplasty procedures. Moreover, it has the advantages of reducing operating time and not requiring any personal skill.