Synonym
Wear and tear of the temporomandibular joint
Introduction
Jaw joint arthrosis is one of the most common diseases occurring in the oral cavity in Germany. In Germany alone, according to extensive studies, it is assumed that approximately 10 million patients suffer from temporomandibular joint arthrosis, either permanently or at least temporarily. Temporomandibular joint arthrosis is a wear and tear disease of the temporomandibular joint, which in most cases is caused by incorrect loading and mechanical wear of the joint surfaces consisting of cartilage.
The risk of developing osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint increases with age. About one in three people over the age of about 70 years suffer at least from a temporary form of osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint. In addition to age, a possible genetic predisposition or heavy physical work also plays a decisive role in the development of this disease.
Anatomy temporomandibular joint
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 (lat. Fossa mandibularis) makes direct contact with the head of the upper jaw (Caput mandibulae).
Within this connection, the upper jaw bone forms the rather rigid component of the temporomandibular joint, whereas the lower jaw is freely movable in the joint. These two structures are only separated from each other by the movable cartilage part (articular disc). In this way, the cartilage disc divides the temporomandibular joint into two functionally independent parts, the upper and lower joint space.
The upper part of the joint (upper joint gap) is responsible for the execution of sliding movements, while rotational movements are mainly performed in the area of the lower joint gap. When chewing or speaking, however, these two ranges of motion must be cleverly combined. In the temporomandibular joint, so-called rotational-sliding movements can therefore also be performed. The mandibular fossa forms a kind of socket and is limited towards the front by a structure known as tuberculum articulare. The rear boundary is formed by the so-called retroarticular process.
