Kassel: First temporomandibular joint endoprosthesis implanted
A simple bite of bread or brushing teeth — things that are taken for granted by others — were daily challenges for her for a long time. The cause was a jaw fracture which, during healing, led to the lower jaw fusing with the skull bone—a condition known as temporomandibular joint ankylosis. As a result, the right jaw joint was completely destroyed. The 55-year-old woman could open her mouth only about five millimeters and depended on pureed food. Four surgeries at different university hospitals brought no improvement. For years, recovery seemed out of reach.
A last attempt
In mid-November, she made one final attempt — and it became a turning point. In a surgery lasting about three hours, the team of oral, maxillofacial, and plastic facial surgery at Helios Hospital Kassel implanted a patient-specific temporomandibular joint endoprosthesis for the first time — with success. Shortly after the operation, the patient was able to open her mouth about 10 millimeters — twice as wide as before. This moment will not be forgotten by the medical team: “The patient was overwhelmed. These few millimeters mean a piece of freedom for her,” said Prof. Dr. Dr. Hendrik Terheyden, Head of the Department. Meanwhile, with continuous training, her mouth opening has reached 27 mm and is now almost back to normal.
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