title: Dynamic and stress relaxation properties of the whole porcine temporomandibular joint disc under compression.
abstract: In this study, the dynamic and static compressive properties of the whole porcine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc were investigated. The aim of the study was to develop a new simple method for the evaluation of joint viscoelasticity, enabling examination of the load-bearing capacity and joint flexibility of the entire disc. For the experiments, a novel testing fixture that reproduces the condylar and fossa surfaces of the TMJ was developed to replicate TMJ disc geometry. Ten porcine discs were used in the experiments. Each disc was dissected from the TMJ and sinusoidal compressive strain was applied to obtain the storage and loss moduli. Static strain control tests were carried out to obtain the relaxation modulus. The result of static and dynamic tests indicated that the whole disc presented viscoelastic behavior under compression. Storage and loss moduli increased with frequency and the relaxation modulus decreased over time. The loss tangent showed less frequency dependence, with values ranging from 0.2 to 0.3, suggesting that the viscous properties of the disc cannot be neglected. These results provide a better understanding of whole disc mechanical compression behavior under realistic TMJ working conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Construction and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrientos
authors.affiliation: Department of Construction and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Oviedo, Spain. Electronic address: fernandezpelayo@uniovi.es.
authors.forename: Fernández
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pelayo
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Construction and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lamela-Rey
authors.affiliation: Department of Construction and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Canteli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D019245:Compressive Strength; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D008422:Materials Testing; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013552:Swine; D019224:Temporomandibular Joint Disc
keywords: Biomechanical characterization; Experimental techniques; Soft tissues; TMJ; Temporomandibular joint; Viscoelasticity