In recent years, many researchers have investigated the various factors that can
influence body posture: mood states, anxiety, head and neck positions, oral functions
(respiration, swallowing), oculomotor and visual systems, and the inner ear. Recent
studies indicate a role for trigeminal afferents on body posture, but this has not yet
been demonstrated conclusively. The present study aims to review the papers that have
shown a relationship between the stomatognathic system and body posture. These studies
suggest that tension in the stomatognathic system can contribute to impaired neural
control of posture. Numerous anatomical connections between the stomatognathic
system’s proprioceptive inputs and nervous structures are implicated in
posture (cerebellum, vestibular and oculomotor nuclei, superior colliculus). If the
proprioceptive information of the stomatognathic system is inaccurate, then head control
and body position may be affected. In addition, the present review discusses the role the
myofascial system plays in posture. If confirmed by further research, these considerations
can improve our understanding and treatment of muscular-skeletal disorders that are
associated with temporomandibular joint disorders, occlusal changes, and tooth loss.
PurposeThe aim of this study was to analyze three-dimensional images of the arterial supply to the temporomandibular joint.Materials and MethodsTen patients (five men and five women, mean age 36 years) without signs or symptoms of temporomandibular disorders, who underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) scanning with intravenous contrast, were studied. The direct volume rendering technique of CT images was used, and a data set of images to visualize the vasculature of the human temporomandibular joint in three dimensions was created. After elaboration of the data through post-processing, the arterial supply of the temporomandibular joint was studied.ResultsThe analysis revealed the superficial temporal artery, the anterior tympanic artery, the deep temporal artery, the auricular posterior artery, the transverse facial artery, the middle meningeal artery, and the maxillary artery with their branches as the main arterial sources for the lateral and medial temporomandibular joint.ConclusionThe direct volume rendering technique was found to be successful in the assessment of the arterial supply to the temporomandibular joint. The superficial temporal artery and maxillary artery ran along the lateral and medial sides of the condylar neck, suggesting that these arteries are at increased risk during soft-tissue procedures such as an elective arthroplasty of the temporomandibular joint.
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