Anatomy
The temporomandibular joint (lat. Articulation temporo- mandibularis) represents a movable connection between the bony upper (lat. Maxilla) and lower jaw (lat.
Mandibula). In the temporomandibular joint, the mandibular fossa (mandibular fossa) is in direct contact with the head of the upper jaw (caput mandibulae). The upper jaw bone forms the rather rigid part of the temporomandibular joint, whereas the lower jaw is almost freely movable.
Both structures are only separated by a movable cartilage part (discus).This cartilage disc divides the temporomandibular joint into two functionally independent parts, the upper and lower joint gap. While the upper part of the joint is responsible for sliding movements, rotational movements occur mainly in the area of the lower joint gap. When chewing or speaking, these two ranges of motion must be cleverly combined with each other, i.e. so-called turn-slide movements must be performed. The lower jaw fossa, which forms a kind of socket, is limited towards the front by a structure known as tuberculum articulare, the rear limit is formed by the so-called processus retroarticularis.
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