Morphology of the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) of Sheep (Ovis aries)

Amol S. Patil, Gunit K. Bindra

Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Bharati Vidyapeeth Dental College and Hospital, Pune, India.

DOI: 10.4236/ojvm.2012.24039                

Abstract

The detailed anatomy of TMJ of sheep was explored so that it could be used as an experimental animal for study of condylar growth. The experimental animal was a 3 month old sheep, head of which was procured from a local abettor. The results showed that the sheep is an excellent experimental model for the study of condylar growth, with and without the use of functional appliances, because of similarity in anatomy related to size, shape and position of the condyle to that of human beings. Thus, it is concluded that the study will help future investigators in the field of dentistry to consider the sheep as an experimental animal for further research.

Keywords

Sheep; TMJ; Condyle

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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