Multidisciplinary Approach in the Management of Absolute Trismus With Bilateral Temporomandibular Joint Replacements for a Patient With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an exclusion diagnosis that gathers together all forms of arthritis that begin before the age of 16 years, persist for more than 6 weeks and are of unknown origin. We present the case of a 42 year old woman with a 20 year history of absolute trismus, secondary to bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis caused by JIA. The trismus resulted in grossly compromised oral hygiene and limited the patient to a semi-solid diet. JIA also affected her neck leading to a severe cervico-thoracic kyphosis. The patient who had been wheelchair bound developed severe lymphoedema of both lower limbs, complicating the pre-operative work up further. This particularly challenging case required input from specialists in anaesthetics, neurosurgery, special care dentistry, intensive care and maxillofacial surgery. Treatment consisted of ankylosis release, dental clearance and bilateral alloplastic replacement of her TMJs with custom implants. A full range of hinge movement and good functional outcome was achieved. This case presents the multidisciplinary approach to a severely compromised patient and illustrates the pre-, intra- and postoperative management of bilateral TMJ ankylosis with bespoke implants.