The temporomandibular joint disk exhibits morphological and biochemical age-related changes. However, the possible age-related changes of the dynamic viscoelasticity in the disk are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that the dynamic viscoelastic properties of the disk change with age. Thirty-six disks from young-adult, adult, and mature-adult cattle were used for dynamic tensile tests. In all disks, the magnitudes of the complex modulus, the storage modulus, and the loss modulus increased as the frequency increased. The mature-adult disks had higher values of these moduli than did the younger disks. The loss tangent ranged from 0.1 to 0.3, which means that the disk has relatively large elasticity and relatively small viscosity. It was concluded that both the elasticity and viscosity of the disk increase with age. This may reflect age-related changes in biochemical composition.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Beek M, Aarnts MP, Koolstra JH, Feilzer AJ, van Eijden TM -2001-. Dynamic properties of the human temporomandibular joint disc. J Dent Res80:876–880.
2.
Berkovitz BK -2000-. Collagen crimping in the intra-articular disc and articular surfaces of the human temporomandibular joint. Arch Oral Biol45:749–756.
3.
Chin LP, Aker FD, Zarrinnia K -1996-. The viscoelastic properties of the human temporomandibular joint disc. J Oral Maxillofac Surg54:315–318.
del Pozo R, Tanaka E, Tanaka M, Okazaki M, Tanne K -2002-. The regional difference of viscoelastic property of bovine temporomandibular joint disc in compressive stress-relaxation. Med Eng Phys24:165–171.
6.
Druzinsky RE -1993-. The time allometry of mammalian chewing movements: chewing frequency scales with body mass in mammals. J Theoret Biol160:427–440.
7.
Gallo LM, Nickel JC, Iwasaki LR, Palla S -2000-. Stress-field translation in the healthy human temporomandibular joint. J Dent Res79:1740–1746.
8.
Iatridis JC, Weidenbaum M, Setton LA, Mow VC -1996-. Is the nucleus pulposus a solid or a fluid? Mechanical behaviors of the nucleus pulposus of the human intervertebral disc. Spine21:1174–1184.
9.
Jibiki M, Shimoda S, Nakagawa Y, Kawasaki K, Asada K, Ishibashi K -1999-. Calcifications of the disc of the temporomandibular joint. J Oral Pathol Med28:413–419.
10.
Ker RF, Wang XT, Pike AV -2000-. Fatigue quality of mammalian tendons. J Exp Biol203:1317–1327.
11.
Kuboki T, Shinoda M, Orsini MG, Yamashita A -1997-. Viscoelastic properties of the pig temporomandibular joint articular soft tissues of the condyle and disc. J Dent Res76:1760–1769.
12.
Meister R, Berg R -1972-. Topographical and applied anatomy of the temporomandibular joint of various domestic animals with special reference to resection of the articular disc. 2. Calf -Bos taurus-. Z Exp Chir5:271–282.
13.
Murata H, Taguchi N, Hamada T, McCabe JF -2000-. Dynamic viscoelastic properties and the age changes of long-term soft denture liners. Biomaterials21:1421–1427.
14.
Nakano T, Scott PG -1996-. Changes in the chemical composition of the bovine temporomandibular joint disc with age. Arch Oral Biol41:845–853.
15.
Nickel JC, McLachlan KR -1994-. In vitro measurement of the stress-distribution properties of the pig temporomandibular joint disc. Arch Oral Biol39:439–448.
16.
Nishimura M, Tan W, Mukudai Y, Nakamura S, Nakamasu K, Kawata M, et al. -1998-. Role of chondroitin sulfate-hyaluronan interactions in the viscoelastic properties of extracellular matrices and fluids. Biochim Biophys Acta1380:1–9.
17.
Oloyede A, Flachsmann R, Broom ND -1992-. The dramatic influence of loading velocity on the compressive response of articular cartilage. Connect Tissue Res27:211–224.
18.
Osborn JW -1985-. The disc of the human temporomandibular joint: design, function and failure. J Oral Rehabil12:279–293.
19.
Scapino RP, Canham PB, Finlay HM, Mills DK -1996-. The behaviour of collagen fibres in stress relaxation and stress distribution in the jaw-joint disc of rabbits. Arch Oral Biol41:1039–1052.
20.
Takano Y, Moriwake Y, Tohno Y, Minami T, Tohno S, Utsumi M, et al. -1999-. Age-related changes of elements in the human articular disk of the temporomandibular joint. Biol Trace Elem Res67:269–276.
21.
Tanaka E, Tanaka M, Miyawaki Y, Tanne K -1999-. Viscoelastic properties of canine temporomandibular joint disc in compressive load-relaxation. Arch Oral Biol44:1021–1026.
22.
Tanaka E, Miyawaki Y, del Pozo R, Tanne K -2000-. Changes in biomechanical properties of the rat interparietal suture incident to continuous tensile force application. Arch Oral Biol45:1059–1064.
23.
Tanaka E, Tanaka M, Aoyama J, Watanabe M, Hattori Y, Asai D, et al. -2002-. Viscoelastic properties and residual strain in a tensile creep test on bovine temporomandibular articular disks. Arch Oral Biol47:139–146.
24.
Tanne K, Tanaka E, Sakuda M -1991-. The elastic modulus of the temporomandibular joint disc from adult dogs. J Dent Res70:1545–1548.
25.
Teng S, Xu Y, Cheng M, Li Y -1991-. Biomechanical properties and collagen fiber orientation of temporomandibular joint discs in dogs: 2. Tensile mechanical properties of the discs. J Craniomandib Disord5:107–114.
26.
Woo SL-Y -1986-. Biomechanics of tendons and ligaments. In: Frontiers in biomechanics. Schmid-Schonbein GW, Woo SL-Y, Zweifach BW, editors. New York: Springer-Verlag, Chapter 14, pp. 180-195.
