title: [A study on puncturing the temporomandibular joint cavity of rabbits and withdrawing synovia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to study the methods of how to puncture the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) cavity of rabbits and get the synovia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors punctured joint cavity and withdrew the synovia from bilateral TMJ cavities of 12 New Zealand rabbits with different methods, such as the traditional puncture method, improved puncture, puncture under X ray, puncture guided by ultrasonography and spiral CT, and withdrawing synovia by micropump.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only one cavity was successfully punctured using the traditional puncture method. A total of 4 cases were successfully punctured using the improved method. X ray and ultrasonography did not locate the TMJ cavity precisely. The spiral CT helped observation and puncture. However, the above methods did not work in collecting synovia. The method of micropump withdrew synovia successfully.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The improved method and spiral CT are efficient methods to precisely puncture TMJ cavity. The technique of micropump successfully resolves the problem of withdrawing synovia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Yisong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011677:Punctures / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D013582:Synovial Fluid; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography