Clinical Study Of Osteoarthrosis Of Temporomandibular Joint

Osteoarthrosis(OA) is a degenerative joint disease that is characterized by articular cartilage degradation and concomitant reparative osteogenesis.OA results from an imbalance between predominantly chondrocyte controlled anabolic and catabolic processes. Its clinical symptoms and signs include joint pain, click, crepirus and dysfunction. Hitherto, its etiology and pathology is not clear and its implication of treatment is majorly based on clinical symptoms ,signs and radiographic findings. Though radiographic examination can exhibit structural change, it is not always correspond with symptoms and signs of OA. Furthermore, treatment of OA is not ideal .It is necessary to study its etiology, pathology, clinical diagnosis and treatment. The present study consists of three parts.Part 1: Clinical pathology study of temporomandibular osteoarthrosis.Objective: To study pathology of temporomandibular osteoarthrosis and its clinical features.Methods: The study consisted of 30 patients (6 males and 24 females); the ages ranged from 16 to 69 years, with an average age of 35 years. All specimens were gained by surgery .The gross specimens were fixed in a solution of 4% neural formaldehede, decalcified by 5% formic acid and dehydrated in a graded series of alcohol;Results: Under micrograph,pathological changes varying extent were found in all OA specimens. In some cases,focal swelling,irregularities of the cartilage surface were found; thinning of the cartilage with loss of the hypertrophic cell zone and even vertical and horitical splitting in the cartilage were observed ;The collagen network showed signs of disorganization addition,proliferation and cluster formation of chondrocytes were found. However, chondrocyte degeneration and necrosis can also be found.Sometimes the cartilage2004.4were completely destroyed and replaced by fibrous tissue,extending through subchondral bone into marrow spaces ;remnants of cartilage and remodelling of adjacent bone were also seen.Conclusion:OA is characterized histologically by degeneration and proliferation of articular cartilage .associated with destroying and remodelling of the underlying bone.