ABSTRACT
The range of procedures and indications for surgery on the mandible is extensive. Some operations are designed to deal with conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint. These conditions may be dysfunctional, or organic with ankylosis, sepsis, degenerative arthropathy and tumours such as villonoduar synovitis featuring in the differential diagnosis. Other procedures are pure orthgnathic operations performed to correct jaw disproportion, mandibular asymmetry or abnormalities of the dental occlusion. Pathology of mandibular bone may be primary or secondary. Sepsis, primary bone tumours or alveolar atrophy after dental extraction may be present and spread of local malignancy to affect the mandible is quite common. Metastases from distant malignancy occurs classically from lung, breast, colon, kidney and prostate primary tumours.
