Angiography of the temporomandibular joint. Description of an experimental technique with initial results

The vascular supply to the temporomandibular joint is not completely understood. To form a base for advancement in this area we developed a method for experimental angiography of the temporomandibular joint that was applied to fresh temporomandibular joint autopsy specimens. Via the external carotid artery the vessels were infused with a mixture of barium and an acrylic resin. The specimens were sectioned and contact radiographs were obtained. These showed the vascularity of the joint and the surrounding structures with great detail. Most of the vascular supply appears to come from the lateral and medial aspects of the condyle head and from the anterior and posterior disk attachments. The method was applied to both normal and abnormal joints and the results suggest that this method could be used to gather further understanding of the vascularity of the temporomandibular joint relative to disease.