Analyses of the temporomandibular disc.

This project is the beginning of a large research work with a goal to develop a new total replacement of temporomandibular (TM) joint. First aim of this work was to determine the relative displacement of the TM disc and the mandible during mouth opening. The movement of the TM disc was studied using a magnetic resonance imaging. Sagittal static images in revolved sections of the TM joint were obtained in various positions of jaw opening from 0 to 50 mm. The results provided a description of the TM disc displacements as a function of jaw opening. The displacements of the mandible and TM disc were about 16 mm and 10 mm respectively at mouth opening of 50 mm, maximum rotation of the mandible was 34s. The results of these measurements can be used for clinical diagnostics and also they were used as inputs for the follows finite element analysis (FEA). Second aim of this work was to create stress and strain analysis of TM joint using non-linear FEA. Complex of TM joint consists of mandibular disc, half skull and half mandible during normal jaw opening. The results illustrate the stress distributions in the TMJ during a normal jaw opening.