Research progress in the pathologic mechanism of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis

Abstract

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a kind of degenerative lesion in temporomandibular joint disorders. The pathogenesis of TMJOA is complex. Among them, excessive mechanical stress plays an important role, which can cause a series of pathological changes, including synovial inflammation, chondrocyte death, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, degradation of extracellular matrix of cartilage, angiogenesis, osteochondral interface sclerosis, subchondral bone remodeling, degeneration of articular discs, etc. In the pathogenesis of TMJOA, it involves multiple signal pathways and epigenetic regulation, which may become potential therapeutic targets of TMJOA. In this paper, the research progress on the pathologic mechanism of TMJOA in recent years is reviewed to provide a basis for finding new therapeutic targets of TMJOA.