Dr Ashraf Mohamed, a maxillafacial surgeon at Unitas Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa, said he searched the literature for a similar case after the operation, but couldn’t find anything.

Doctors were shocked to find on a preliminary examination that there was a huge gap in CJ Richards' lower jaw, according to Mohamed.

"I thought the piece was lodged somewhere among the mouth tissue, but X-rays showed the entire lower jaw was missing."

It was a stroke of luck that the piece of jaw, complete with the teeth, was found quickly and brought to Pretoria, he said.

The jawbone was full of soil and ants and was placed in a special antibiotic solution to clean it, after which the tissue was removed prior to the refitting of the jaw.

A steel plate and screws were used to affix the jaw and holes were drilled in it to restore its blood supply.

Mohamed explained that if the original piece of jaw had not been found, it would have been necessary to take a section of bone from CJ's leg to reconstruct it.

Before being discharged, CJ's upper and lower jaws will be joined together temporarily to prevent unnecessary movement during healing.

02 May 2005