OM was a 26-year-old male student who\npresented with chronic recurrent TMJ dislocation\nfollowing wide mouth opening (yawning) of about\none day duration having had about 10 previous\nepisodes (talking, laughing, yawning) all of which were\nsuccessfully treated with the Hippocrates manouvre.\nHe presented with a desire for a definitive treatment.\nPlain X-rays (TMJ views) revealed short mandibular\ncondyles. He had reduction using the Hippocrates\nmanouvre and subsequent immobilization with maxillomandibular\nfixation for two weeks but had a recurrence\nimmediately after. Definitive care was bilateral\neminectomy which involved grounding down of the\narticular eminences using round/acylic burs under\ngeneral anesthesia. There was complete resolution of\nsymptoms, restoration of temporomandibular joint functions and resolution of associated facial nerve\nweakness at five month post-operative review.
NP was a 60-year-old housewife who\npresented with a three hour history of inability to close\nthe mouth after yawning. There was associated pain\nand discomfort in the preauricular area bilaterally. She\nhad a similar incident four (4) months earlier. No\nprevious history of trauma. She is a known\nhypertensive on moduretic. A diagnosis of bilateral\nanterior TMJ dislocation was made. She had a\nsuccessful treatment using the extra-oral technique after\nfailed Hippocrates manouvre attempts. She was\nsubsequently immobilized with the barrel bandage