Relationship between Temporomandibular Dysfunction and Joint Morphology

Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is one of the most prevalent jaw disorders, and it is considered as the main cause of orofacial pain of non-dental origin. TMD has different etiologies, which are not yet fully known. The morphology of the components of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) has been discussed as an etiological factor of TMD. These parameters include the position of the condyle in the articular fossa, the horizontal angle of the condyle, and the slope, width and height of the articular eminence. The possible relationship between the TMJ morphology and the incidence of TMD has been reviewed in this study. This paper is not a systematic review but is a review of literature on the relationship between TD and JM. A computerized search of five electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Sciences and google scholar from 1st January 1980 to June 2018 was conducted. “Temporomandibular dysfunction”, “Temporomandibular joint” and “morphology” were used as key phrases. The search revealed 102 papers that were screened in detail. Owing to a lack of relevance to the subject area, 59 papers were excluded. Thus, the review consisted of 43 clinically relevant papers that met all the criteria. Most of the selected studies included in this review article revealed that that TMJ morphology plays an important role in the pathogenesis of TMD. Therefore, the morphologic variation of the joint should be considered as an important element in the pathogenesis of TMD.