Articular disk of the temporomandibular joint
Encyclopedia
The articular disk is a thin, oval plate, placed between the condyle of the mandible and the mandibular fossa
.
Its upper surface is concavo-convex from before backward, to accommodate itself to the form of the mandibular fossa and the articular tubercle.
Its under surface, in contact with the condyle, is concave.
Its circumference is connected to the articular capsule; and in front to the tendon of the Pterygoideus externus.
It is thicker at its periphery, especially behind, than at its center.
The fibers of which it is composed have a concentric arrangement, more apparent at the circumference than at the center.
It divides the joint into two cavities, each of which is furnished with a synovial membrane.
Mandibular fossa
The mandibular fossa is the depression in the temporal bone that articulates with the mandibular condyle. In the temporal bone, the mandibular fossa is bounded, in front, by the articular tubercle; behind, by the tympanic part of the bone, which separates it from the external acoustic meatus; it is...
.
Its upper surface is concavo-convex from before backward, to accommodate itself to the form of the mandibular fossa and the articular tubercle.
Its under surface, in contact with the condyle, is concave.
Its circumference is connected to the articular capsule; and in front to the tendon of the Pterygoideus externus.
It is thicker at its periphery, especially behind, than at its center.
The fibers of which it is composed have a concentric arrangement, more apparent at the circumference than at the center.
It divides the joint into two cavities, each of which is furnished with a synovial membrane.