Methodology and clinical application for intra-articular pressure examination of the temporomandibular joint

Abstract

This is a study of the intraarticular pressure-volume relation and the methodology for measuring intraarticular pressure (IAP) in both the monkey knee joint and the human temporomandibular joint. Two catheters were inserted into the monkey knee joint, and there was an external transducer on one route of the catheter and a microsyringe on the other route. Measurement of the IAP was made by the rapid bolus injection technique and measures of the intraarticular pressure-volume relation were calculated. Measures of intraarticular pressure-volume relationship included (a) IAP before volume injection (P₀), (b) peak IAP caused by volume injection (P_p), and (c) the intra-arterial pressure volume index (IAPVI) calculated as the ratio of ΔV to logP_p/P₀.
We propose the IAPVI as a very useful index to express the peculiarity of IAP dynamics. The IAPVI of the human temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is calculated by a similar method. It is clinically useful that IAPVI is applied as an index to evaluate the IAP dynamics of the human TMJ.