Management of Septic Arthritis of the Temporomandibular Joint in Dogs

Boaz Arzi; Natalia Vapniarsky; Amy Fulton; Frank J M Verstraete

doi:10.3389/fvets.2021.648766

Management of Septic Arthritis of the Temporomandibular Joint in Dogs

Front Vet Sci. 2021 Mar 29:8:648766. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.648766. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Boaz Arzi¹, Natalia Vapniarsky², Amy Fulton³, Frank J M Verstraete¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
² Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
³ Aggie Animal Dental Center, Mill Valley, CA, United States.

Abstract

Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in dogs and other mammals is a rare condition. It is typically associated with notable pain, swelling, and difficulty in opening the mouth. Unlike degenerative TMJ disease, septic arthritis requires urgent intervention. The etiology of the condition may include penetrating trauma, an extension of local infection, such as otitis media, or the hematogenous spread of a pathogen. However, the precise cause may not always be identified. Diagnostic imaging with Computed Tomography (CT), cone-beam CT (CBCT), and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are helpful for honing the definitive diagnosis and formulating a treatment plan. Subsequently, exploratory surgery may be required to obtain samples for culture and sensitivity and histology and to lavage the joint. In this "methods" article, we provide a detailed description of our approach to diagnosis and management of septic TMJ arthritis in four dogs.

Keywords: arthritis; bacteria; computed tomography; septic; temporomandibular joint.