The influence of unilateral disc displacement on stress in the contralateral joint with a normally positioned disc in a human temporomandibular joint: An analytic approach using the finite element method

摘要

Objectives: To investigate the influence of unilateral disc displacement (DD) in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) on the stress in the contralateral joint, with a normally-positioned disc, during clenching. Study design: A finite element model of the TMJ was constructed based on MRI and 3D-CT of a single patient with a unilateral DD. A second model with bilateral normally-positioned discs served as a reference. The differences in stress distribution in various TMJ components during clenching were predicted with these models.