[Functional structure of the growing human mandibular condyle (author's transl)].

This histological study describes the functional structure of the growing human mandibular condyle at birth. It consists of a dense conjunctive membrane of meniscal origin covering over the pre-osteoblastic condylar zone. The two muscle bundles of the external pterygoid muscle, the meniscal and condylar bundles, ensure, because of their contractile forces acting in opposite directions, the dissociation of the conjunctive and pre-osteoblastic zones, followed by a mitotic response of the latter. This mechanism is of prime importance during the period of somatotropic hormone secretion, that is to say, during the growth period. This structure and mechanism of growth validate the hypothesis of the predominance of postural and functional phenomena during mandibular condylar growth. The behaviour of human temporomandibular joints during growth would therefore be analgous to that of a membranous suture.