title: Healing of surgical incisions in the disc and retrodiscal tissue of the rabbit temporomandibular joint.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate histologically the healing potential of surgical incisions placed in various areas of the TMJ disc and retrodiscal tissue. Eight weeks after surgery, it was found that incisions completely within retrodiscal tissue had healed and had a normal appearance. Incisions at the junction of the disc and retrodiscal tissue also had healed, but at a slower rate and with more random orientation of the collagen fibers. Defects within the disc had not healed, however, and degenerative changes had developed in the hard and soft tissues. The implications of these observations are discussed.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Laskin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D003094:Collagen / Q000502:physiology; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen