Temporomandibular Joint Soft-Tissue Pathology, I: Disc Abnormalities

Molinari, Francesco; Manicone, Paolo Francesco; Raffaelli, Luca; Raffaelli, Renzo; Pirronti, Tommaso; Bonomo, Lorenzo

doi:10.1053/j.sult.2007.02.004

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Volume 28, Issue 3 , Pages 192-204, June 2007

Temporomandibular Joint Soft-Tissue Pathology, I: Disc Abnormalities

Francesco Molinari, MD
- Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University of Rome, Italy.
- Address reprint requests to: Francesco Molinari, MD, Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University of Rome, L.go F. Vito n. 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Paolo Francesco Manicone, MD
- Institute of Clinical Dentistry, Catholic University of Rome, Italy.
Luca Raffaelli, MD
- Institute of Clinical Dentistry, Catholic University of Rome, Italy.
Renzo Raffaelli, MD
- Institute of Clinical Dentistry, Catholic University of Rome, Italy.
Tommaso Pirronti, MD
- Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University of Rome, Italy.
Lorenzo Bonomo, MD
- Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University of Rome, Italy.

The internal derangements are the most common noninflammatory abnormalities of the disc, observed even in asymptomatic subjects. Because the temporomandibular joint shows large adaptative and compensatory mechanisms over dysfunctional disc motion, these disorders may be asymptomatic or minimally evident for a long time. A careful clinical evaluation, reinforced by imaging findings, should help differentiate asymptomatic derangements from painful conditions that may require treatment.