Abstract
Temporomandibular joint disc, located between temporal bone and mandibular condyle, consists mainly of collagen fibers and proteoglycans constrained in the interstices of collagen fiber mesh. These components result in a viscoelastic characteristic of the disc and enable the disc to play an important role as a stress absorber during function. The viscoelastic properties depend on the direction, magnitude, rate and type of the applied loading. In addition, these properties change as a result of various intrinsic and extrinsic factors in life such as aging, trauma, and pathology. Information about the unique behavior of the disc is required for tissue engineering of the disc. In this review, I introduce the biomechanical behavior of the disc in response to various biomechanical environments and discuss the possibility of a suitable TMJ replacement and disc tissue engineering.
