Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis is a rare and debilitating condition characterized by fibrous or bone fusion between the mandibular condyle and the glenoid fossa, resulting in restriction of jaw movements. This change can compromise essential functions such as chewing, speech and breathing, in addition to negatively impacting the facial aesthetics and quality of life of patients. Ankylosis can have traumatic origin, infectious or be associated with systemic diseases, being fundamental a precise diagnosis to direct the therapeutic approach. Treatment involves surgical techniques, postoperative rehabilitation with intensive physiotherapy and, in some cases, joint reconstruction with grafts or prostheses. For this research, the electronic databases were used: U.S National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library and Lilacs.