GLENOTEMPORAL OSTEOTOMY AS A DEFINITIVE TREATMENT FOR RECURRENT DISLOCATION OF THE JAW

Chronic Recurrent Dislocation of the jaw (CRD) is a relatively frequen t occurrence, with a multifactorial aetiology. Both conservative and s urgical treatments have been applied to this entity, This paper seeks to review the results of surgical treatment applied according to Norma n's technique (1984), with certain modifications, applied to CRD. Ten patients were treated by glenotemporal osteotomy and interposition of bone grafts, (four cranial bone grafts and sis iliac crest grafts), Pr eviously, all of the patients had suffered numerous episodes, requirin g hospital care oil more than one occasion, Nine of the patients were female. All of the patients underwent clinical exploration and pre- an ti postoperative radiological study. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging was used in combination with tomography in the preoperative pe riod to evaluate the state of the joint. In the postoperative period, tomography was used as the radiological investigation to carry out reg ular follow-ups. The patients were followed for between 5 and 51 month s, The elements used in osteosynthesis were either mire, screws or not hing, None of the patients complained of any episode of RCD in the pos toperative period. Oral opening, which could not be measured in the pr eoperative period, ranged between 28 and 38mm in the postoperative per iod, One of the patients operated on still suffered articular pain on attempting this function, In the postoperative period, radiology revea led different degrees of bone resorption in the. cases of iliac crest bone grafts, yet this did not affect the clinical result of the operat ion.