J Appl Biomed 14:177-185, 2016 | DOI: 10.1016/j.jab.2016.03.003

Resolving the problems and controversies surrounding temporo-mandibular mechanics

Graham Scarr^a,*, Helen Harrison^b

^a 60 Edward Street, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 8FJ, UK

^b Granta Group, Newnham Road, Cambridge, CB3 9EY, UK

The temporo-mandibular joint causes more problems than any other in the body and is the least understood with the high incidence of associated symptomatology remaining a major cause for concern. This lack of knowledge is partly due to the difficulties in acquiring information as it is not easy to access and practical and ethical constraints have ensured the almost complete absence of reliable in vivo data on joint loading and muscle forces. Whilst the issue of joint compression was debated throughout much of the twentieth-century, it is now considered that short-comings in the underlying biomechanical theory and analysis have contributed to this uncertainty and stifled progress, and that a reassessment of mandibular motion from a different perspective could resolve this.

Keywords: Biomechanics; Joint loading; Lever; Orthodontic; Temporomandibular; Tensegrity

Received: December 10, 2015; Revised: March 22, 2016; Accepted: March 30, 2016; Published: August 1, 2016  Show citation