Cephalometric studies of patients with ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint following surgical treatment.

Cephalometric studies of eighteen cases of ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint, treated surgically, were undertaken. Arthroplasty tended to correct the characteristic facial deviation of patients with ankylosis and approximate the facial features of these patients to those of a normal person. These changes were found to occur in a larger percentage of the patients and to a greater magnitude 6 months postoperatively than 1 week following surgery. These findings support the concept that the mandible grows in response to functional stimulation and emphasize the importance of early surgical treatment of ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint.