Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis Among Patients at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia: a 9 Year Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Temporomandibular joint ankylosis (TMJA) is a gradually developing pathological condition manifested by a limited mouth opening. It can result in an extremely disabling situation that may affect mastication, swallowing, speech, oral hygiene, and facial cosmetic appearance. The present study was aimed to determine the pattern of TMJA at St. Paul’s Hospital millennium medical college (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods: A retrospective descriptive study design was conducted at SPHMMC. All medical records of patients with the diagnosis of TMJA that visited the Maxillofacial Surgery unit from September 2010 through August 2019 were reviewed. Clinical data including age, sex, place of residency, duration of the case, etiology, clinical presentations, imaging results, the type of operation and complications after surgery were collected, and analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0 windows software computer program. Results: A total of 130 patients’ medical records were reviewed. Out of this, 95 were included in the study. 42(44.2%) of the TMJA case were males, while the remaining 53(55.8%) were females with a female to male ratio of 1.26:1. The most affected age group was 20 to 39 years 36(37.9%), followed by the age group of 30 to 39 years 33(34.7%). Trauma was identified as the most common cause of TMJA. Notably, bilateral ankylosis was more common than unilateral, and mandibular deformity (micrognathia) was the most common deformity observed. The majority 52(54.7%) of TMJA patients were treated with Gap arthroplasty.Conclusions: Trauma was identified as the main cause of TMJA. The majority of TMJA cases were surgically treated with Gap arthroplasty with almost no postoperative complications. Thus early detection and intervention to release the ankylosed joint is needed to improve patient’s quality of life.