Abstract
In the habitual dislocation of the temporomandibular joint, though the etiology is not clear, many cases seem to be controlled by selflimitation of their jaw movements.
Scarification of the oral mucosa and temporal tendon, which is one of the treatments in these cases, has many advantages. These include its easy of application, intraoral approach, and the lack of major complications.
We examined 6 such cases in the period from 1985 to 1991 at our hospital. These cases were 3 males (20-80 year-old) and 3 females (19-30 year-old), and they had a history of habitual dislocation for 2 to 10 years.
Under local anesthesia, all of the 6 patients were operated on using the method of vertical dissection of the oral mucosa and horizontal closing of the temporal tendon, reported by Maw et al. and Gould.
These cases were followed for at least a year to confirm the effectiveness of this procedure in preventing mandibular dislocation and in reducing the maximal mouth opening, and to observe possible surgical complications.
As a result, the prognosis of all cases is comparatively satisfactory, and there were no complications and no recurrence within 1 year after surgery.
