Temporomandib
ular joint
Temporomandibular Joint
The temporomandibular joints, one on each side, allow opening and closing of the mouth and
complex chewing or side-to-side movements of the lower jaw.
Joint is synovial and is formed between the head of mandible and the articular fossa and
articular tubercle of the temporal bone
Other synovial joints where the articular surfaces of the bones are covered by a layer of hyaline
cartilage, those of the temporomandibular joint are covered by fibrocartilage. In addition, the
joint is completely divided by a fibrous articular disc into two parts:
• the lower part of the joint allows mainly the hinge-like depression and elevation of the mandible;
• the upper part of the joint allows the head of the mandible to translocate forward (protrusion) onto the
articular tubercle and backward (retraction) into the mandibular fossa.
Temporomandibular joints
The forward or protrusive movement allows
greater depression of the mandible by
preventing backward movement of the angle of
mandible into structures in the neck.
Temporomandibular joint
Joint capsule
The synovial membrane of the joint capsule lines all nonarticular surfaces of the upper and
lower compartments of the joint and is attached to the margins of the articular disc.
The fibrous membrane of the joint capsule encloses the temporomandibular joint complex and
is attached:
• Above along the anterior margin of the articular tubercle
• Laterally and medially along the margins of the articular fossa
• Posteriorly to the region of the tympanosquamous suture
• Below around the upper part of the neck of mandible
The articular disc attaches around its periphery to the inner aspect of the fibrous membrane.
LIGAMENTS
EXTRACAPSULAR LIGAMENTS:
Three extracapsular ligaments are associated with the temporomandibular joint-the lateral,
sphenomandibular, and the stylomandibular ligaments
• The lateral ligament is closest to the joint, just lateral to the capsule, and runs diagonally
backward from the margin of the articular tubercle to the neck of the mandible
• The sphenomandibular ligament is medial to the temporomandibular joint, runs from the
spine of the sphenoid bone at the base of the skull to the lingula on the medial side of the
ramus of mandible
• The stylomandibular ligament passes from the styloid process of the temporal bone to the
posterior margin and angle of mandible.
MOVEMENTS OF THE MANDIBLE
• Depression: is generated by the digastric, geniohyoid, and mylohyoid muscles on both sides, is
normally assisted by gravity and, because it involves forward movement of the head of mandible
onto the articular tubercle, the lateral pterygoid muscles are also involved;
• Elevation: is a very powerful movement generated by the temporalis, masseter, and medial
pterygoid muscles and also involves movement of the head of mandible into the mandibular fossa;
• Protraction: is mainly achieved by the lateral pterygoid muscle, with some assistance by the
medial pterygoid;
• Retraction: is carried out by the geniohyoid and digastric muscles, and by the posterior and deep
fibers of the temporalis and masseter muscles, respectively.
INNERVATION:
Except for the geniohyoid muscle, which is innervated by the C1 spinal nerve, all muscles that
move the temporomandibular joints are innervated by the mandibular nerve [V3] by branches
that originate in the infratemporal fossa.
