[Bilateral chronic dislocation of the temporomandibular joints and Meige syndrome]

Chronic dislocation of the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) is rare. It occurs when an acute dislocation is left untreated, in certain situations, including severe illness, neurologic or psychiatric diseases or prolonged oral intubation.

A 79 years old woman, with Meige syndrome, suffered from bilateral dislocation of the TMJ for over 1 year. Surgical repositioning of the mandibular condyles and temporal bone eminectomy were performed. At the 18 postoperative months control, no recurrence has been noted.

Treatment of chronic TMJ dislocations often requires a surgical procedure. Manual reduction, even under general anaesthesia, often fails because of severe muscular spasm and periarticular fibrotic changes. The management of this disorder is still controversial. We review available surgical procedures.