Posted on 11/27/2017
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is one of the most heavily utilized and underappreciated joints in the human body. Mechanically, the TMJ is what allows you to open and close your mouth, and to a lesser extent, extend and move your jaw from side to side.
Functionally, it facilitates eating, talking, and facial expressions. Without a TMJ, McGruff the crime dog would not be able to “Take a bite out of crime,” and Jaws would have never become a savage predatory superstar of the deep blue sea. Just kidding. We all know from “Shark Week” that sharks do not actually have a TMJ, but you get the idea.
Structurally, the TMJ i...