User:Ericfrick/sandbox

=Spacing of the Joint= The temporomandibular joint is a ginglymus (hinge) joint where the mandibular condyle of the jaw meets the glenoid fossa of the cranium. Separating the articulation is the TMJ disc which has many functions to help support a fluid and smooth movement of the joint. This disc also absorbs and distributes shock evenly throughout the joint during opening and closing of the jaw. As the disc absorbs shock, the bone begins to stiffen according to the specific loading points of the individual. The specific points of the bone that stiffen will determine the positioning of the condyle articulation in both the resting state as well as the fluidity of the motion. Lemoine, Jeremy Jon (2006) states that a normal healthy disc should be stiffer medially rather than laterally. When a disc develops thickness due to loading stress, space of the joint is either filled or made available. This space was measured by Dalili to determine where normal spacing of the joint was being formed. In both males and females, the space was more prominent on the superior side of the TMJ disc for normal space development.