Temporomandibular joint development in the marmoset--a mirror of man.

The timing of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) development in the cotton-eared marmoset was studied by histological examination of joints taken during embryogenesis and compared with TMJ development reported in man. Specimens were obtained via hysterotomy at intervals during pregnancies dated by estimation of uterine size or fetal head diameter. Elements of the marmoset TMJ were first identified at 70-85 days gestation, and TMJ morphogenesis was complete at 110-125 days.

Asymmetry in mandibulofacial dysostosis.

Mandibulofacial dysostosis is an autosomal dominant malformation incorporating a number of facial and hearing defects. It has been regarded as a symmetrical problem with a central causative mechanism of malformation. Patients with this syndrome occasionally show a tendency toward asymmetry from birth to adolescence.