Review of the biomechanics of TMJ

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a two-sided articulation via which the jaw moves with respect to the skull. As a key component, the articular disc residing in the TMJ plays a critical role in absorbing the shocks to the joint and lubricating the mandibular movement, whose incorporation in FEM study is considered to bring more complicated interpretation than other elastic components in terms of inside stress distribution. Instead of studying its construction and properties under static experiments, this paper explores several models representing the mechanical behavior of articular disc, which can be simulated in the FEM analysis. As recognized that the disorder around TMJ is associated with excessive load on the joint, which may result in the permanent dislocation and perforation of the disc, software simulation has been always used as a non-invasive means to acquire the data. Apart from traditionally used static simulation of FEM in the analysis of the internal stress and strain inside TMJ, methods in the field of dynamics are also reviewed in combination with FEM to provide much more realistic loading scenarios emulating a quasi-static or continuous process. Finally, the paper summarizes the experimental results about the concerned items that were acquired under diverse loading condition and gives a brief discussion.