Regional and disease-related differences in properties of the equine temporomandibular joint disc

摘要: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders affect up to 12% of the human population, and naturally occurring TMJ diseases are increasingly recognized in animals. The disc plays a major role people, but little is known about its pathology This study characterizes differences properties equine discs associated with age, region, presence osteoarthritis (OA). Discs were dissected from both TMJ's sixteen horses euthanized for reasons unrelated this study. Each was grossly evaluated scored as normal, mild OA, or severe OA. Samples rostral, caudal, lateral, central, medial regions subject compressive testing, quantitative biochemistry, histology. region tested tensile rostrocaudal mediolateral directions. We found that highly anisotropic, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content stiffness vary between regions. also exhibits increasing GAG age. While generally similar other herbivores, greater throughout rostral suggest mechanical demands on differ species. Importantly, region-specific decrease observed disease corresponded cartilage erosions underlying condylar surface.