Gender‐specific differences in temporomandibular retrodiscal tissues of the goat

Abstract

Healthy, adult, male and female goat temporomandibular retrodiscal tissues were characterized to determine if biochemical differences existed between the genders. RNA concentrations were not different between male and female retrodiscal tissues; however, the DNA concentration in female retrodiscal tissues was 82% greater than in male retrodiscal tissues. Collagen concentrations were significantly greater in male retrodiscal tissues, and this was reflected in significant gender differences of type I and III collagen concentrations. More specifically, male temporomandibular retrodiscal tissues contained 70% more type I collagen and 119% more type III collagen when compared to female retrodiscal tissues. These differences in collagens and DNA reflect a gender difference in temporomandibular retrodiscal tissue composition that underlies divergent biomechanical and neurophysiological properties.

A Surface–Regional and Freeze–Thaw Characterization of the Porcine Temporomandibular Joint Disc

“…Interspecimen variations may be due to disease or developmental states which could not be identified with the naked eye and differences between genders; these factors, disease, development, and gender, are active areas of TMJ research noted throughout the literature. 20,[24][25][26] We included the animal reference number in all ANOVAs to account for this variability in our surface-regional analysis, thus reducing the experimental error associated with interspecimen variations in our ANOVAs. Further refined mechanical models and tighter experimental and specimen controls may be capable of further reducing the estimate variability.…”

Viscoelastic properties of bovine retrodiscal tissue under tensile stress‐relaxation

“…Functionally, the bovine TMJ exhibits lateral translatory movements and the frequency of mastication in cattle is almost similar to that in humans although cattle have much greater excursions than humans (26,27). Meanwhile, the retrodiscal area in humans can be quite different from that in other animals (28,29). In human, the retrodiscal tissues are highly vascular and are believed to fill the glenoid fossa as it is vacated by the condyle during jaw opening.…”