Silicone CAP arthroplasty in temporomandibular joint ankylosis

Four patients with temporomandibular joint ankylosis, three bilateral, one unilateral, were treated successfully by using the technique of silicone ca p arthroplasty. Among these patients two were recurrent cases. Mean maximum incisal opening distance was 6.0 mm preopera tively and 24.7 mm postoperat ively. In the follow-up period ranging between 19 months and 5 years, all o f the patients had satisfactory mouth opening for chewing and speaking with out any reankylosis. We believe that the silicone cap provides a satisfacto ry range of motion and prevents cortical callus formation across the cap by wrapping around the mandibular stump: this reduces the risk of reankylosis . The simplicity and the short duration of the operation as well as the non existence of an additional scar are other reasons for preferring this metho d. Furthermore, the silicone cap arthroplasty technique has the advantage o f controlling the amount of bone removal thus decreasing the risk of the de velopment of a short ramus.