Tissue engineering of temporomandibular joint cartilage

• Other Authors: Athanasiou, K. A.
• Format: Electronic
• Language: English
• Published: San Rafael, Calif. (1537 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 USA) : Morgan & Claypool Publishers, c2009.
• Series: Synthesis lectures on tissue engineering (Online), # 2.
• Subjects: Temporomandibular joint > Diseases > Treatment.; Tissue engineering.; Artificial temporomandibular joints.
• Online Access: Abstract with links to full text
• Item Description: Part of: Synthesis digital library of engineering and computer science.; Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 8, 2009).; Series from website.
• Physical Description: 1 electronic text (xi, 108 p. : ill.) : digital file.; Also available in print.
• Format: Mode of access: World Wide Web.; System requirements: Adobe Acrobat reader.
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-105).
• ISBN: 9781598299977 (electronic bk.)
• ISSN: 1944-0308
• Access: Abstract freely available; full-text restricted to subscribers or individual document purchasers.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a site of intense morbidity for millions of people, especially young, pre-menopausal women. Central to TMJ afflictions are the cartilaginous tissues of the TMJ, especially those of the disc and condylar cartilage, which play crucial roles in normal function of this unusual joint. Damage or disease to these tissues significantly impacts a patient's quality of life by making common activities such as talking and eating difficult and painful. Unfortunately, these tissues have limited ability to heal, necessitating the development of treatments for repair or replacement. The burgeoning field of tissue engineering holds promise that replacement tissues can be constructed in the laboratory to recapitulate the functional requirements of native tissues. This book outlines the biomechanical, biochemical, and anatomical characteristics of the disc and condylar cartilage, and also provides a historical perspective of past and current TMJ treatments and previous tissue engineering efforts. This book was written to serve as a reference for researchers seeking to learn about the TMJ, for undergraduate and graduate level courses, and as a compendium of TMJ tissue engineering design criteria.