Effect of region-dependent viscoelastic properties on the TMJ articular disc relaxation under prolonged clenching

• Published in: Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials 2021-07, Vol.119, p.104522, Article 104522
• Main Authors: García, Natalia, Fernández, Pelayo, Tanaka, Eiji, Barrientos, Eva, Lamela-Rey, María Jesús, Fernández-Canteli, Alfonso, de Vicente, Juan Carlos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clenching; Material model; Stress analysis; TMJ; Viscoelastic behavior
• ISSN: 1751-6161; 1878-0180
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104522

The disc of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is located between the mandibular condyle and temporal bone, and has an important load-bearing and stress absorbing function. The TMJ disc presents viscoelastic characteristics that are largely dependent on its collagen fibre and proteoglycan composition and organization. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible effects of region-specific dynamic viscoelastic properties on stress relaxation during prolonged clenching. Two finite element models were used to compare the stress distribution within the TMJ disc, namely, one with uniform disc material property and another one with region-specific disc material properties. Similar results were observed in both models with slight differences in the location of maximum stress. Larger stresses were observed in all cases for the model with uniform disc material property. Moreover, the higher values for the model with uniform disc material property appeared in the lateral region, while in the model with region-specific disc properties, these values moved to the lateral and central region. This investigation confirms that both models are sufficiently accurate to investigate stress distribution in the TMJ disc, and, particularly, the model with the region-specific disc material properties ensure better simulations of the TMJ disc behaviour. [Display omitted] •Region-specific material properties are compared with those obtained in a disc with uniform material properties.•The TMJ disc relaxation moduli of the five regions are obtained using Ninomiya-Ferry interconversion.•von Mises stresses in the disc with region-specific material properties are compared with those obtained in a disc with uniform material properties using FEM.•Stress distribution is influenced by loading directions and disc material properties.