Introduction: The treatment of chronic recurrent temporomandibular joint dislocation is complex and controversial. There are many different surgical procedures that can limit the interincisal distance.
Objective: To evaluate the use of T-plate eminoplasty as a precondylar stopper in management of chronic recurrent temporomandibular joint dislocation with long-term follow up extended to 5 years.
Patients and methods: Eight patients (11 TMJs) were included in this prospective clinical study. All patients were complaining from either unilateral or bilateral chronic recurrent TMJ dislocation, they were managed with miniplates eminoplasty and evaluated clinically and radiographically postoperatively.
Results: Miniplates eminoplasty achieve the desired goals as return of interincisal distance to be within the normal range, the unilateral cases showed better tolerability and satisfaction than the bilateral cases and also the incidence of miniplate fractures in bilateral cases is more than that occur in unilateral cases.
Conclusion: Miniplate eminoplasty is an easy, reversible surgical technique used for the treatment of chronic recurrent TMJ dislocation with good results clinically and radiographically especially in unilateral cases than bilateral ones.