Preoperative and postoperative examination of occlusal and maxillofacial changes after osteochondroma extirpation

• Osteoma/osteochondroma of the condyle may cause a slow, progressive shift in occlusion, with deviation of the midline of the chin toward the unaffected side.
• After osteochondroma extirpation, the mandible rotated clockwise by about 6° on average on both sides and deviated by about 2.5 mm on the left side compared with the preoperative position.
• An effective orthodontic treatment regimen can be designed and applied postoperatively through an initial preoperative evaluation of mandibular change.
• The preoperative orthodontic treatment should be performed effectively to prevent the malocclusion postoperatively.

A patient came with left-side temporomandibular arthralgia, limited mandibular opening, frontal facial asymmetry, and a significant anterolateral open bite. Severe alterations in the occlusal and maxillofacial anatomy resulted from an osteochondroma associated with the mandibular condyle. We describe the changes associated with extirpation of the mandibular condylar osteochondroma and subsequent orthodontic treatment. These clinical changes resulted in improved facial symmetry and a satisfactory functional occlusion.