Distraction osteogenesis as a treatment for retrognathia and obstructive sleep apnea resulting from temporomandibular joint septic arthritis: A case report

t e Septic arthritis is a rare but serious infective process that is characterized by pain, swelling, and possible loss of function of the affected joint. Knees and hips are the most commonly affected joints, but the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is among the other joints that are infrequently affected. Reports of septic arthritis of the TMJ are relatively rare, with only approximately 80 cases reported in the previous 70 years. Of these cases, most have been in adults, with only 11 cases reported in children younger than 12 years. Septic arthritis of the TMJ can have diferent complications, including ankylosis, condylar esorption, and altered mandibular growth. In ases where condylar resorption occurs, this can lead o the development of significant complications, inluding obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The authors resent a case of a pediatric patient who developed SA as a sequela of septic arthritis of the TMJ and iscuss the patient’s surgical treatment with mandiblar distraction osteogenesis (DO).