It has been held that excessive mechanical forces to the osseous and soft tissues of the TMJ result in joint dysfunction. Understanding the stress pattern on TMJ is very important in TMJ research. But, it is very difficult to measure directly the biomechanical stress distribution in the TMJ when the mandible is loaded. Therefore, stress distribution in the TMJ during functional movement was studied through animal experiment or mathematical model. It was observed and compared the stress distribution occuring in the working and balancing condyle when lower right canine, lower right first molar and lower right second molar were clenched by the three dimensional finite element analysis. Also, stress distribution in the working and balancing condyles were observed and compared when 20˚ forward and buccal bite forces were applied to the first molar.
The results were as follows :
1. Stress distribution in the condyles during unilateral clenching of the first molar, second molar, canine showed no difference. In the working condyle, tensile force was concentrated on the lateral aspect of the condylar articular surface and condylar neck. And compressive force was concentrated on the anteromedial and lateral aspect of condyle. In the balancing condyle, tensile and compressive forces were concentrated on the lateral aspect of the condylar articular surface and stress transmission to the temporal bone was not observed.
2. When lateral forces were applied to the first molar, tensile forces were concentrated on the medial aspect of the condylar neck and condylar posterior surface in working and balancing condyle. Compressive force was concentrated on the anteromedial and lateral surface of the condyle and stress transmission to the temporal bone was not observed.
3. During unilateral clenching, stress in the working condyle decreased as the occlusal load moved posteriorly while the stress in the balancing condyle increased, when lateral force was applied to first molar, the incremental amount of stress was greater than vertical load.
4. During unilateral clenching, the average balancing/working condyle stress ratio was 2.52. There was a greater concentration of stress in the balancing condyle. The ratio increased as the occlusal load moved posteriorly and decreased considerably when lateral forces were applied to the first molar.
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