[The utilization of Dacron as interposition material in the treatment of the temporomandibular ankylosis--retrospective study: 1993-2005].

The treatment of temporomandibular ankylosis, indifferently by anatomoclinical type or etiologic factor (trauma, infection, rheumatism), is exclusively surgical. The frequent indication in the temporomandibular ankylosis of types I and II Topazian remains the neo-articular modeling osteotomy with or without interposition. A clinical and retrospective study of 25 patients diagnosed with temporomandibular ankylosis (unilateral or bilateral) was performed. The patients were operated between 1993- 2005 by interpositional arthroplasty after resection of the joint osseous block. From 32 surgical procedures in temporomandibular ankylosis, the Dacron was used for 29 interventions. The qualities of this material were confirmed by good results obtained after 1-12 years of following. The mobility of the mandible and postoperative mouth opening were in normal limits with lack of complications or recurrences. The technique is simple and the interposition material is well tolerated by the body. The Dacron texture is soft, elastic, resistant with physically and chemically stable. It is easy to be modeled, perfectly adaptable on resting osseous mass, and it is integrates intra new joint by penetration of the connective fibrous in itself. Given these facts, the interposition material of Dacron plays the role of the fibrocartilage in the temporomandibular joint.