Journal of Bone Research
Open Access

A Short Note on Temporomandibular Joint

Ali Abdullah^{* *}Correspondence: Ali Abdullah, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Jaber Alahmed Alsabah Hospital, Kuwait city, Kuwait, Email:

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Description

The joint connecting jawbone with skull bone is called temporomandibular joint acts as a sliding hinge, each side of jaw have one joint. Two temporal bones are located in head below the skull and two sides of the head and lateral to the temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex. Four bones in the skull the frontal, temporal, sphenoid and parietal, the meeting point of these four bones is called temple. The temples in head are located behind the eyes and in between ears and forehead. The temporomandibular joint is a bilateral synovial articulation between jaw bone or mandible and temporal bone. The main components in the temporomandibular joint functional are articular disc, mandibular condyles, temporomandibular ligament, stylomandibular ligament, articular surface of the temporal bone, sphenomandibular ligament, lateral pterygoid muscle and joint capsule. These bones are connected with ligaments, there are mainly three ligaments they are one major ligament and two minor ligaments.

Ligaments helps in movement of mandible. The major ligament is called temporomandibular ligament, it is attached lateral portion of the capsule. This ligament is in triangular shape with Outer Oblique Portion (OOP) and Inner Horizontal Portion (IHP). The remaining two minor ligaments are sphenomandibular and stylomandibular, are not not connected directly to any component. The blood is supplied from external carotid artery system. The development of temporomandibular joints is in utero is arount 12 weeks. The temporomandibular joints are classified as ginglymoarthrodial joint, because of its hinging position and the sliding joint is called as arthrodial joint. The bones in the joint are actually separated by articular disc, it can control the motion of jaw bone while mouth opening and closing. Full opening of mouth jaw is generally from the edge of upper front teeth to edge of lower front teeth is 40-50 millimeters. While we open and closing mouth only the mandible moves. The mandible forward excursion is called protrusion and the reverse protrusion is called retrusion.

The reasons for temporomandibular joint pain are, most common reason for pain is myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome. Sometimes internal derangements are the reason for pain for example disc displacement. Diseases of articular surface are also reasons for temporomandibular joint pain, example osteoarthritis and temporal arteritis. Most common reason for disc displacement is when the articular disc, attached anteriorly to the superior head of the lateral pterygoid muscle and posteriorly to the retrodiscal tissue, moves out from between the condyle and the fossa so that the mandible and temporal bone contact is made on something other than the articular disc.

The temporomandibular joint disorders also caused for make grating sensation or clicking sound when open and closing for chewing food. The risk factors in TMJ disorders are, it may causes to various types of arthritis like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It may cause to long-term clenching or grinding of teeth and jaw injury. And sometimes it may affect the connective tissues connected to the joint. The diagnosis process is considered with the jaw movement, pain in the masseter, the preauricular region. And the sound, while jaw movement is also considered. And other symptoms and signs also considered they were headache, ear discomfort, and facial pain.