Dreessen D, Halata Z, Strasmann T
Abteilung für Prothetik, Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferklinik, UKE, Hamburg, BRD.
Acta Anat (Basel). 1990;139(2):154-60. doi: 10.1159/000146992.
The sensory innervation of the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) of 8 STR/IN mice was investigated by means of light and electron microscopy. Through the cutting of complete semithin sections in series it was possible to investigate the joints thoroughly. Additionally, one joint with its nerve supply was reconstructed three-dimensionally with a computerized three-dimensional programme. The reconstruction was based on one complete semithin section series. The joint's nerve supply originates from the nervus auriculotemporalis and additionally from motor branches of the n. mandibularis: n. massetericus, n. pterygoideus lateralis and the nn. temporales posteriores. The greatest number of nerve fibres and endings is located in the dorsolateral part of the joint capsule. They lie only in the stratum fibrosum and subsynovially. Neither the stratum synoviale nor the discus articularis contain any nerve fibres or endings, whereas the peri-articular loose connective tissue is richly innervated. The only type of nerve ending observed within the joint was the free nerve ending, which is assumed to serve not only as a nociceptor but also as a polymodal mechanoreceptor. Merely within the insertion of the musculus pterygoideus lateralis at the collum mandibulae single stretch receptors of the Ruffini type were observed. Ultrastructurally, they correspond to those described in the cat's knee joint. Neither lamellated nor nerve endings of the Golgi or Pacini type were observed in the joint or in the peri-articular connective tissue. The unexpected paucity of nerve fibres and endings in the TMJ itself of the mouse suggests that the afferent information from the joint is less important for position sense and movement than the afferent information from muscles, tendons and periodontal ligaments.
通过光学显微镜和电子显微镜对8只STR/IN小鼠的颞下颌关节（TMJ）的感觉神经支配进行了研究。通过连续切割完整的半薄切片，可以对关节进行全面研究。此外，利用计算机三维程序对一个带有神经供应的关节进行了三维重建。重建基于一个完整的半薄切片系列。关节的神经供应源自耳颞神经，此外还来自下颌神经的运动分支：咬肌神经、颞肌神经、翼外肌神经和颞后神经。神经纤维和神经末梢数量最多的部位位于关节囊的背外侧部分。它们仅位于纤维层和滑膜下层。滑膜层和关节盘均不含任何神经纤维或神经末梢，而关节周围的疏松结缔组织则有丰富的神经支配。在关节内观察到的唯一一种神经末梢是游离神经末梢，据推测它不仅作为伤害感受器，还作为多模式机械感受器发挥作用。仅在翼外肌在下颌颈的附着处观察到了鲁菲尼型单伸展感受器。在超微结构上，它们与猫膝关节中描述的感受器相对应。在关节或关节周围结缔组织中未观察到层状、高尔基型或帕西尼型神经末梢。小鼠颞下颌关节本身神经纤维和神经末梢数量出人意料的稀少，这表明来自关节的传入信息对于位置觉和运动的重要性低于来自肌肉、肌腱和牙周韧带的传入信息。
