IMMEDIATE FUNCTION OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT AFTER TOTAL RESECTION AND RECONSTRUCTION

Two patients with recurrent parotid gland carcinoma required subtotal petrosectomy and infratemporal fossa type C approach. To achieve en bl oc resection, the ascending mandibular ramus and the entire temporoman dibular joint, including the adjacent temporal bone, were removed. An original technique for immediate reconstruction of the infratemporal r egion, including the glenoid fossa and the ramus of the mandible, is d escribed. Rigid fixation, as well as good functional and aesthetic res ults, was achieved with autologous calvarial bone and full-thickness r ib grafts, allowing the patients to mobilize their jaw very rapidly.