ABSTRACT
The bony surfaces of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are lined by fibrocartilage instead of hyaline cartilage. The head of the mandible (1) articulates with the mandibular fossa. The TMJ is divided into an upper and a lower joint by a fibrocartilaginous disc (2) that sits over the mandibular head, but also attaches to the joint capsule peripherally and into the squamotympanic fissure posteriorly. The disc may deteriorate, causing pain in the joint. The capsule attaches to the articular margins (anterior to the articular tubercle) and thickens laterally as the strong, lateral temporomandibular ligament (3). There are two associated ligaments that are separate from the joint: sphenomandibular, from spine of sphenoid to lingula of mandible; stylomandibular (4), from styloid process to angle of mandible.
