Morphometry and morphology of the temporomandibular joint in Felis catus (domestic cat) by means of cone bean tomography

• Grant number: 12/22765-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Marco Antonio Gioso
• Grantee: Lenin Arturo Villamizar Martinez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in the cat is regarded as a true or synovial condylar joint, formed by two articular surfaces: the mandibular fossa (MF) and the condylar process (CP). The retroarticular process (RP), a bony extension on the caudoventral margin of the mandibular fossa, overlaps the caudoventral portion of the condylar process, which prevents caudal dislocation of the condylar process. This joint could be affected by congenital, traumatic, neoplastic and degenerative disorders that may affect the animal's ability to prehend or eat food. Although several imaging techniques have been used to describe the anatomical conformation of the TMJ in the cat, there are no morphometric studies using cone bean computed tomography to describe the TMJ structures or the anatomical relationship between them. The aim of this study is to determine the morphometry of the temporomandibular bony structures and their anatomical relationship by means of cone bean computed tomography performed in normal adult domestic cats. Using multiplanar reconstruction images, the width and depth of the MF will be measured and two angles will be proposed to assess objectively the extent of RP and the relationship between the articular joint surfaces. It will be assessed 40 Temporomandibular joints from 20 cadaver heads of different cat breeds recovered from the Pathology Department of the Veterinary School of the University of São Paulo (USP). Recollected data will be submitted later to statistical analysis. (AU)