EVOLUTION AND

DEVELOPMENT OF
Temporomandibular
joint
 CONTENTS
• Evolution
• Embryology
• Functional anatomy and histology
• Muscles of mastication
• Biomechanics of TMJ
EVOLUTION OF TMJ

• Primitive vertebrates
• Collection of food led to dev of jaws along
with fins
• Amphibians and reptiles
• Greater demand on jaw mechanics to
adjust to new habitat
EVOLUTION OF TMJ

• increasing efficiency of the

feeding mechanism- critical factor
in vertebrate evolution
• Earliest functional activity of TMJ

prehension Control size of mass

of food entering
alimentary tract
EVOLUTION OF TMJ

• Mammals
• Greater benefit from food source
• Modification in jaws, joint, dentition
• Humans
• Upright posture / bipedal locomotion
• Food collection shifted to jaws.
 EVOLUTION OF TMJ

• Primitive jaw joint

– reptilian joint
1. Dentary
2. Quardate(incus)
3. Articulare(malleus)
• Dentary –
squamosal
joint/mammalian
jaw joint
 EVOLUTION OF TMJ
Relationship of primitive jaw and cranial base

AMPHISTYLIC SUSPENSION
• upper jaw connected to cranium

Behind Hyomandibular
eye cartilage attached
to cranium

HYOSTYLIC SUSPENSION
•Only lower jaw connected to cranium
EVOLUTION OF TMJ
STREPTOSTYLIC SUSPENSION
• Great degree of movement between
upper and lower jaw
• Assists in swallowing

• Amphibians and reptiles

• Maxillary , pterygoid elements attached to
the cranium
EVOLUTION OF TMJ
development of muscles

• Advanced reptiles –
capitii mandibularis
• Increased functional
activity
• Size of dentary
bone,heterodont
dentition
• Forces directed away
from the joint
• Alteration in
orientation of jaw
muscles
EVOLUTION OF TMJ
Mammal like reptiles - Prehension

• Condyle clamped by
glenoid processes
EVOLUTION OF TMJ
Carnivore - cutting

• Well dev canines

• Coronoid – large
• Condyle encircled
in fossa
• Disc present
• Masseter
+temporalis –well
dev
• No forward
• Minimum lateral
 EVOLUTION OF TMJ
Rodent - gnawing

• Incisors chisel
shaped
• Ant –post
oriented glenoid
fossa
• Forward
+upward
movement
• Well dev
Masseter
EVOLUTION OF TMJ
Herbivore - grinding

• Well dev molars

• Ascending ramus
increased height
• Condyle oval
• No articular eminence
• Post glenoid process
• Disc & capsule present
• Masseter + temporalis
well dev
• Lat pterygoid
• Lateral movements
prominent
Types of joints

Depending on the types of tissues involved

•Fibrous joints

•Cartilaginous joints

•Synovial joints
Fibrous joints

1. Sutures

2. Gomphosis

3. Syndesmosis
Cartilaginous joints
• Primary

• secondary
Synovial joints

• Permits significant movement

• Synovial cavity
• Synovial membrane
• Synovial fluid
• hyaline cartilage
• capsule
Synovial joints
• Uniaxial/biaxial /multiaxial
• Planar /ginglymoid /pivot/condyloid/saddle/ball
and socket

• Hiltons law

Muscles acting upon a joint have same nerve

supply as joint
TMJ
• GINGLYMO

• DIARTHROIDAL

• SYNOVIAL

• TRUE COMPOUND
 embryology
Primary Jaw joint

•Between Incus and Malleus

•Persists till 4 months IUL

embryology
Secondary jaw joint

•Between the condyle and

temporal bone
•Differs from other synovial joints
embryology

Formation of
condylar +
temporal
blastema and
ossification

Clefting and
formation of
joint cavity
Embryology
TMJ - neonate

• Lax
• Stability –capsule
• Fossa – flat
• Articular tubercle
• Absent condyle,no
fossa/tubercle
FUCTIONAL ANATOMY
• SQUAMOUS PART OF TEMPORAL BONE

• ARTICULAR DISC

• CONDYLE
FUCTIONAL ANATOMY
condyle

• Poles of condyle

• Convex articulating
surface

• Post articulating
surface greater
FUCTIONAL ANATOMY
temporal bone

• Squamous part

• Concave-Glenoid
fossa

• Articular eminence

• Roof - thin
ARTICULAR DISC

SAGITTAL POSTERIOR
VIEW BORDER

INTERMEDIATE
ZONE
ANTERIOR
BORDER

ANTERIOR
VIEW
ARTICULAR DISC
• Articulating surfaces are covered with fibrous
tissue

Upper joint
cavity

Lower
joint cavity
• Synovial lining /fluid
ARTICULAR DISC
• Devoid of blood vessels and nerve

• Morphology maintained

• Flexible and adaptable to functional

demands
Functions of synovial fluid
• Nutrition

• Lubrication
1. Boundary lubrication
2. Weeping lubrication

• Minimizes friction
Retrodiscal tissue

• Loose connective tissue

• Rich blood and nerve
supply

Superior retrodiscal lamina

Inferior retrodiscal lamina

• Bilaminar zone
ARTICULAR DISC -
attachments

Temporal bone

Retrodiscal Capsular
tissue ligament +
superior
LPM

condyle
Medially + laterally attached to the capsule which divides
joint cavity
Histology of TMJ
cartilage associated with the joint
 Ligaments of TMJ
• Collateral ligaments
Functional
• Capsular ligaments ligaments
• Temporomandibular ligaments

• Sphenomandibular ligaments
Accessory
• stylomandibular ligaments ligaments
 Collateral (discal) ligament
Medial discal
Lateral discal
•Divide joint medio laterally
•allows passive movement
•Permits anterior + posterior
rotation of disc on condyle
•Blood vessels + nerves
• proprioception
Capsular ligament

• Surrounds the TMJ

• Retains synovial fluid
• Resists medial ,lateral
inferior forces that
separate the
articulating surfaces
• Nerves +
proprioception
Temporomandibular
ligament
• Reinforces the lateral
aspect of capsular IHP
ligament
• Outer oblique portion
• Inner horizontal
portion
• OOP- Prevents
excessive dropping of
condyle / limits extent
of mouth opening
Temporomandibular ligament-
action

• Limits rotational
opening
• Seen only in
humans – erect
posture
• Prevents damage
to submandibular /
retromandibular
structures
Temporomandibular
ligament
• IHP-
• Limits posterior
movement of
condyle and disc
• Prevents damage
to the retrodiscal
tissue
Sphenomandibular ligament

• Extents from spine of

sphenoid to lingula
• No limiting effects on
mandibe
Stylomandibular ligament

• Extends from the

styloid process to
the angle + post
border of ramus
• Limits excessive
protrusive
movement
Muscles of mastication
• Masseter
• Temporalis
• Medial pterygoid
• Lateral pterygoid
• Digastric
The masseter

Origin & insertion Function –elevation

U/ L- Mediotrusive
The temporalis

Function –
Origin & insertion elevation
retrusion
The medial pterygoid

Function - elevation
• Origin & insertion
Protrusion
Muscle sling with Masseter
U/l - mediotrusive
The lateral pterygoid- inferior
portion

Function-protrusion
Origin & insertion U/l – mediotrusive
With depressors – downward+forward
The lateral pterygoid- superior
portion

Infratemporal Active during

surface of greater power stroke
wing of sphenoid –
capsule ,disc ,neck Closure with
elevators
The lateral pterygoids

Exert medial pull on disc & condyle

The digastricus

Function– b/L contraction

depression of mandible with
fixed hyoid bone
Raises hyoid -swallowing
Other muscles coordinating
Mandibular movements
Biomechanics of
TMJ
 Biomechanics of TMJ
• Based on structure and function can be divided
into 2 systems
• ONE JOINT SYSTEM
Inferior joint
1. Condyle disc complex
cavity
2. Tightly bound
3. Rotation
• SECOND JOINT SYSTEM
1. Condyle disc with mandibular fossa
2. Not tightly bound Superior
joint cavity
3. translation
Biomechanics of TMJ
• Articular disc as meniscus

1. Freely extends into the joint space

2. does not divide the joint cavity
3. Not a determinant of joint
movement
Biomechanics of TMJ
• TMJ - no attachment
• Yet stable due to muscles
• Resting stage – tonus
• Increase muscle activity -
increase interarticular pressure
• Absence of pressure - dislocate
Biomechanics of TMJ

Disc space varies with

pressure
• Increased – disc space
narrows
Condyle on intermediate
zone
• Decreased – space
widens
Condyle on anterior /
posterior zone
Biomechanics of TMJ
Mandibular opening and closing

• SRL –retract the

disc
• Closed joint
position – relaxed
• Stretched – during
opening
Biomechanics of TMJ
Mandibular opening and closing

• SLP – protractor of
the disc
• ILP – protractor of
opening
condyle
• SLP –active during
closure with
elevators

closing
Biomechanics of TMJ
closed mouth resting position

• SLP - tonus
• SLP > SRL
• Resting position-interarticular pressure
reduced,disc space wide. Disc rotated anteriorly
• Condyle contacts intermediate & post zone
• Open mouth –SRL stretches , SRL > SLP Disc
rotated posteriorly
Biomechanics of TMJ
Power stroke / chewing

• Resistance met on closure –pressure reduced on

biting side
• Fulcrum around hard food
• Pressure increased on contralateral side
• Same side – separation – dislocation
• SLP - active ,positions disc anteriorly on condyle
• Stabilizes joint
• Teeth approach intercuspation –pressure increases
• Post rotation – intermediate zone-resting position
Biomechanics of TMJ
• Points to remember

1. Ligaments do not actively

participate in function of TMJ
2. Ligaments do not stretch
3. Articular surfaces must maintain
constant contact
References
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Romer, A. Vertebrate Paleontology, 3rd ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago
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