Bilateral spontaneous temporomandibular joint herniation: A case report and literature review
Daniel C O'Brien1, Kaylee R Purpura, Adam M Cassis
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of West Virginia, 4520 Health Science South, PO Box 9200, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. daobrien@hsc.wvu.edu.
Abstract:
In this article we report the case of a 41-year-old man with bilateral aural fullness and hearing loss. On examination he was found to have bilateral, dehiscent anterior canal walls with herniation of the mandibular condyle. This herniation partially obstructed the canals and contributed to his symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the third reported case of bilateral spontaneous temporomandibular joint herniation, and only 28 cases of unilateral spontaneous herniation can be found in the English language literature. While it is a rare phenomenon, it should be considered when evaluating a patient with fluctuating ear symptoms.
Related Concept Videos
Spontaneity
Review and Preview
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
Review and Preview
Structural Joints: Synovial Joints
Structural Joints: Fibrous Joints
Suture
All the bones of the skull, except for the mandible, are joined to each other by a fibrous joint called a suture. The fibrous connective tissue found at a suture strongly unites the adjacent skull bones and thus helps to protect the brain and form the face. In...
Structural Joints: Cartilaginous Joints
There are two types of cartilaginous joints:
Synchondrosis
A synchondrosis ("joined by cartilage") is a cartilaginous joint where bones are connected by hyaline cartilage. Synchondrosis may be temporary...


