¹Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery Department, TR-06070 Ankara - TÜRKİYE
²Medivet Littlehampton Veterinary Clinic, BN17 5ET, Littlehampton, UNITED KINGDOM
³Ankara University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, TR-06070 Ankara - TÜRKİYE DOI : 10.9775/kvfd.2025.35391 This retrospective study describes the clinical features, imaging results, surgical management and long-term outcomes of gap arthroplasty (GA) in cats diagnosed with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis. The medical data including signalment, clinical presentation, CT findings, surgical management, and follow-up results was obtained from previous patient records between 2020 to 2024. The mean age of the cats was 23.3 months. Of the 10 cats included, six were male and four were female. The study population consisted of four Domestic Shorthair cats, four Scottish Folds, and one cat each of the British Shorthair and British Longhair breeds. Trauma was the primary cause of ankylosis. Unilateral involvement was more common than bilateral, predominantly affecting the left joint. GA surgery was achieved using conventional surgical instruments rather than piezoelectric surgical devices. Bilateral GA was performed in two cats with bilateral ankylosis, while two other cats required contralateral surgery after recurrence. Immediate postoperative improvement in mandibular motion was achieved in all cases. Outcomes were classified as excellent in 3 cats, good in 4 cats, fair in 1 cat, and excellent after a second procedure in 2 cats that initially had poor outcomes. Owner-reported quality of life markedly improved at a mean follow-up of 16.8 months. Despite the lack of postoperative imaging, clinical outcomes were consistently favorable. According to results of this study, GA remains a reliable, accessible, and cost-effective surgical option, particularly in cats with advanced ankylosis or poor body condition. Keywords : Arthroplasty, Cat, Computed tomography, Malocclusion, Temporomandibular ankylosis