Bifid Mandibular Condyle With Associated Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis: A Rare Skeletal Abnormality

Abstract

Bifid mandibular condyle (BMC) is splitting the mandibular condyle into two separate articular surfaces. The etiology is poorly understood, but trauma and developmental issues are currently the most cited causes. Though most often asymptomatic, occasionally, this condition may cause the development of jaw pain, clicking, and restriction of motion. We present a rare case of a patient who developed unilateral ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) secondary to BMC in the absence of trauma or infection. The ankylosis developed due to abnormal biomechanical forces and degenerative arthritis secondary to the abnormal articulation of the TMJ caused due to BMC. CT imaging is the best modality to evaluate the bony anatomy of the TMJ. It is essential to consider BMC as a cause of TMJ pathology, as management is primarily surgical in nature.

Bilateral bifid condyle mandibula features in panoramic radiography: a case report

“…Several cases were found incidentally through routine panoramic radiograph examinations. 3,8,11 The incidence of BMC has increased in the last 10 years due to the increasing use of radiology in patient care procedures. 10 BMC is a rare anatomical disorder and until now the etiology cannot be known with certainty.…”

“…3,4,5,6 Bifid Mandibular Condyle (BMC), also known as a double-headed condyle is a condition of bone disorder in which the articular surface of the condyle is divided into two parts; anterioposterior and mediolateral. 8 The condylar division ranges from a superficial groove to two different condyles with separate necks. The condylar division ranges from a superficial groove to two different condyles with separate necks.…”

“…The condylar division ranges from a superficial groove to two different condyles with separate necks. 4,8 Although it is still uncertain, several sources state that the cause of BMC can be triggered by trauma to the mandible, developmental anomalies, teratogenic drug use, genetic tendency, surgery (condylectomy), infection and radiation exposure. Nonetheless, several cases associated with ankylosis and the temporomandibular joint have been reported.…”

“…Nonetheless, several cases associated with ankylosis and the temporomandibular joint have been reported. 6,8,9,10,11 In most cases, BMC is asymptomatic and is more often found incidentally on radiographic examinations in the form of panoramic, CT, MRI, ultrasonography, and CBCT. 3,6 With the increasing use of radiography, especially in dentistry, the findings for this case are also increasing.…”

Prevalence of the Bifid Mandibular Condyle and Its Relationship with Pathologies of the Temporomandibular Joint: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…"Does the case report provide takeaway lessons?" presented a high risk of bias in eight of the eleven articles analyzed [18][19][20][21]28,29,33,34,40,41,45] (Table 4 and Figure 5). For the analysis of biases using AQUA, 22 studies were included [16,17,[22][23][24][25][26][27][30][31][32][35][36][37][38][39]43,44,46,47], of which the main bias presented by the studies was the reporting of results in 7 of 21 studies, and the other items presented a low risk of bias (Table 5 and Figure 6).…”