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TMJ Disorders
Quantitative analysis of the elastic fibres in the human temporomandibular articular disc and its attachments

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2006.06.017Get rights and content

Abstract

A quantitative study of the elastic fibres found in the human temporomandibular disc and its attachments was performed. Seven left discs from 57- to 82-year-old subjects, without macroscopic evidence of a TMJ disorder, were analysed and prepared in parasagittal sections. The surface amount was measured, thresholded and expressed from 0 to 1, using microscopic digitized views after Weigert's resorcin–fuchsin staining of elastic fibres. Fibre density rates ranged from 0 to 0.687. The mean density was 0.1532 (σ = 0.1150) in the upper bilaminary zone, 0.1097 (σ = 0.1159) in the lower bilaminary zone, 0.0474 (σ = 0.0782) in the anterior band, 0.0180 (σ = 0.0603) in the posterior band and null in the intermediate zone. The difference in density rate between the structures was significant, except for the posterior band and the intermediate zone. The elastic fibre density rates in central and medial locations of the upper and lower bilaminary zones were twice as big as in the lateral locations. In the anterior band, the elastic fibre density was less abundant medially than in its lateral part. These quantitative results support the current elastic fibre distribution scheme, and confirm the necessity of studying their orientation, taking into account age and temporomandibular joint health parameters.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

The study material consisted of seven left human TMJs with their anatomical environments. The specimens were removed from three women and four men whose age ranged from 57 to 82 years old at the date of their death. The selected discs were judged to be free of pathosis and fulfilled Scapino's criteria22: smooth articular surfaces, the posterior band of the disc situated above or only slightly anterior to the summit of the condyle in all regions, biconcave articular disc in sections

Results

The elastic fibre densities of the five anatomic stuctures were examined, i.e. the anterior band, the intermediate zone, the posterior band, the upper bilaminary zone and the lower bilaminary zone at the three sample locations, medial, central and lateral, and are summarized with standard error and number of observations (Table 1, Fig. 2). The elastic fibre density scored from 0 to 0.687 and its distribution is reported in Fig. 3. The mean elastic fibre density for the five structures and the

Discussion

Few studies have aimed at quantifying the elastic fibres in the human TMJ disc and its connective structures. Elastic fibres appear in smaller numbers in the TMJ disc anatomic structures than in skin or other elastic tissues of the human body15. Gross et al.10 carried out a quantitative study on disc samples removed from patients treated for antero-medial or complete displacement of the TMJ disc and for whom discectomy was indicated. The mean age of their patients was 32.3 years. By contrast to

Acknowledgements

To Jean-Marie LE MINOR – Institut d’Anatomie Normale (EA 3428), Faculté de Médecine de Strasbourg, France.

To Hervé MEMBRE – Laboratoire de Biologie Expérimentale et d’Immunologie, Faculté des Sciences de Nancy, France.

This study was conducted within the research program 2004 of the DEA de Biomorphologie Quantitative et Variabilité de la Forme Humaine, Université Paris V.

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    Copyright © 2006 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.