Articular disk of the temporomandibular joint

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Articular disk of the temporomandibular joint
Sagittal section of the articulation of the mandible. (Articular disk visible at center.)
Latin	discus articularis articulationis temporomandibularis
Gray's	subject #75 298
Dorlands/Elsevier	d_22/12300682

The articular disk is a thin, oval plate, placed between the condyle of the mandible and the mandibular fossa.

Its upper surface is concavo-convex from before backward, to accommodate itself to the form of the mandibular fossa and the articular tubercle.

Its under surface, in contact with the condyle, is concave.

Its circumference is connected to the articular capsule; and in front to the tendon of the Pterygoideus externus.

It is thicker at its periphery, especially behind, than at its center.

The fibers of which it is composed have a concentric arrangement, more apparent at the circumference than at the center.

It divides the joint into two cavities, each of which is furnished with a synovial membrane.

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.