The Good, the Bad, and the T.M.J.

Abstract

The Temporo-Mandibular-Joint, or TMJ, is a complex anatomic structure with a specific function. It provides the mandible with a broad capacity to move while simultaneously assuring condylar stability no matter what the position of the mandible may be, maintaining throughout a visco-elastic potential for absorbing constraints. All of these qualities are in a large measure intimately related to the structure and the form of the articular disc and the union or cohesion between that disc and the condyle. The flexibility of the fibro-cartilaginous structure, the large surface area of the synovial membrane, and the great volume of investing fluid that characterize this joint embody it with its capacities of resilience, or reservoir of visco-elasticity for modeling and re-modeling and underline the importance of movement in its trophic exchanges.