Arthroscopic Findings in an Unusual Case of Disc Perforation After a Whiplash Mechanism

The precise cause of disc perforation in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) remains elusive, with various factors, including whiplash injury, being associated with its occurrence. Here, we present an unusual case of a 36-year-old woman who developed chronic symptoms in her left TMJ after a car accident 6 months earlier. In this scenario, the traumatic retrusion of the condyle could have exerted pressure on the disc lining tissue, resulting in a direct impact on the TMJ and subsequent disc perforation. Arthroscopy of the left TMJ revealed an anterior disc displacement without reduction, a 1cm2 postero-lateral disc perforated extending from the retrodiscal tissue to the posterior ligament, accompanied by concurrent degenerative changes.