Histological and functional changes in retrodiscal tissue following anterior articular disc displacement in the rabbit: review of the literature.

Numerous studies have shown how the disc displacement, which usually occurs in an antero-medial direction, can be a factor contributing to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and dysfunction. The aim of this study was to ascertain, through a critical review of the literature, current knowledge relating to anterior articular disc (ADD) in the rabbit that constitutes an extremely suitable animal model for studying the human TMJ. An electronic search of the MEDLINE database was performed without applying time or language restrictions and using the following key words: TMD, anterior disc displacement, rabbit, bilaminar zone. This was followed by a manual search. The articles identified were assessed to verify their pertinence, or otherwise, to the topic of investigation. The articles examined were divided into the following groups according to the topic (histological and/or functional) they dealt with: experimental animal models, joint changes, elastic fibers, collagen, chondrocytes and nervous tissue. The papers reviewed covered many aspects, both microscopic and histochemical, of the dysfunctional picture o anterior ADD, furnishing a vast body of useful information, not only from the point of view of the results recorded, but also as regards the various surgical and analytical methods used.