ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: To study the correlation between etiology, sex, side and time of TMJA, to evaluate and compare two different surgical techniques and their postoperative complications
Methods: Twenty-one patients [15 female , 6 male] were treated in Rizgary Teaching Hospital in Hawler during the period May 2007-October 2008. The patients were referred from Hawler and Duhok governorates, and operated on by two surgeons each adopted one surgical technique, either gap arthroplasty with temporalis muscle flap [technique A] or horizontal ramus osteoctomy with masseter muscle flap [technique B]
Results: We found 95.65% of patients had TMJA before the age of ten years and 96% was due to trauma [57% was bilateral TMJA and 43% unilateral], technique [B] was easier and of shorter duration than technique [A] which was more functional. The most common postoperative complication was neural deficit [33.33%]. Anterior open-bite occurred in 36.3% of patients with bilateral ankylosis
Conclusions: The earlier the onset of ankylosis, the more the extent of deformity and the more complicated surgical technique was required. Both techniques were effective with good immediate out come