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Updated: Sep 25, 2025

Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Computed tomographic features of the temporomandibular joint in 10 Jeju horses
Seyoung Lee1, Eun-Bee Lee1, Kyung-Won Park1
1Department of Veterinary, College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea.
Background:
The equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) has a complex anatomical structure that makes diagnosis of TMJ disorders difficult. Computed tomography (CT) is now available in equine medicine; hence, TMJ evaluation has become more convenient.
Objectives:
The objectives of this study were to describe the CT features of the TMJ in Jeju horses and to compare these features with those of Thoroughbreds.
Methods:
In this report, the TMJs of 10 Jeju horses (mean age: 4.5 ± 1.9 yr; mean body weight: 282.6 ± 40.3 kg) and 6 Thoroughbreds (mean age: 7.3 ± 1.6 yr; mean body weight: 479.7 ± 44.0 kg) were examined using CT. After CT scanning, the Hounsfield units (HU) and height to width ratio (H:W) of the mandibular condyle were measured.
Results:
The mean H:W in Jeju horses was significantly lower than that in Thoroughbreds. The mean HU in Jeju horses was lower than that in Thoroughbreds; however, the difference was not significant. The most frequent CT finding was an irregular medial margin of the mandibular condyle in both breeds.
Conclusions:
In this study, the shape of the mandibular condyle in Jeju horses was flatter than that in Thoroughbreds. This report could be useful in evaluating the TMJ in Jeju horses. Moreover, CT could be a pragmatic choice for the examination of the TMJ in horses.
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