Movement of temporomandibular joint tissues during mastication and passive manipulation in miniature pigs

Movement is an important aspect of the biomechanics of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). To track the relative movements of TMJ components, radio-opaque markers were implanted in the left squamosal bone, mandible and retrodiscal tissue of miniature pigs. Medial–lateral (ML) and dorsal–ventral (DV) fluoroscopic records were made 8–10 weeks later during chewing and passive manipulation. Marker movements were digitized from the videotapes. During passive manipulation, the deformation of the lateral capsule was also measured with a differential variable-reluctance transducer. The results provide new details about porcine chewing pattern, which is distinguished by a regularly alternating chewing side. During masticatory opening, the mandible had a centre of rotation (CR) well inferior to the condyle and close to the angle. In contrast, the passive opening movement showed a higher CR location close to the condylar neck, indicating a different motion from masticatory opening. The retrodiscal tissue followed the movements of the mandibular condyle during both mastication and passive manipulation. The lateral capsule elongated during ipsilateral shifts and retrusion, implying a possible role in limiting such movements. These movement characteristics provide a useful reference for studies on the TMJ using pigs.