A study of sounds of TMJ movement in normal sujects : Effect of TMJ loading caused by anterior-posterior changes in mandibular Position

Abstract

I investigated how TMJ loading affects sounds of TMJ movement by recording sounds at two measurement sites for four different mandibular positions and three different jaw opening speeds. Recordings made 20 mm anterior to the average condylar position clearly caught the changing conditions of the TMJ. Observing changes in frequency components was informative. It was desirable for the jaw opening speed to be slow or moderate. Loading the front of the TMJ increased the high frequency component of the sounds generated by TMJ movement. One method for diagnosing mild cases of TMD might be to observe the range of frequencies between those of normal and abnormal subjects.