ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Herniation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) into the external auditory canal (EAC) is rare. The TMJ and EAC are separated by the anterior bony wall of the EAC. Such a defect can be caused by trauma, infection, neoplasm, inflammation, and in rare cases, congenital bony defects. If asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, supplemental treatment is primarily given, but if the symptoms are severe enough that the patient regularly feels discomfort, surgical procedure is considered. To our knowledge there are no reports about surgery-related complications and recurrence during the postoperative follow-up period for TMJ herniation in English literature. Here, the authors report the first case of implant protrusion after TMJ herniation surgery along with a literature review.
