Temporomandibular joint MRI anatomy

Case contributed by Behrang Amini
Diagnosis not applicable
Diagram

The mandibular condyle is centered on the glenoid fossa when the mouth is closed. When the mouth is open, the condyle moves anteriorly under the center of the articular eminence. The disc has anterior (A) and posterior (P) bands. The thinner central portion is called the intermediate zone (iz). The posterior band is normally located directly on top of the condyle (C) when the mouth is closed. The intermediate zone should be between the condyle and the closest portion of the temporal bone in any mouth position. The disc is low signal on all MR sequences, but you may be able to see intermediate signal centrally in the anterior and posterior bands. 

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.