AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGE OF THE MANDIBULAR JOINT BY MUSCLE ALTERATION IN RAT

백서교근의 변형에 따른 악관절부의 병리조직학적 연구

The purpose of this study was to investigate the histopathological change and adaptation process of the mandibular joint of the rat by muscle alteration. For this study, one hundred and twenty eight rats of 25 - and 60 - day old of age were used. Unilateral and bilateral detachment, with anterior positioning of the Masseter muscle, was performed under anesthesia. The animal was sacrified 10, 20, 50, 80 days postoperatively. This alteration in muscle function led to change in neuromuscular activity and demonstrated the adaptive nature of the condyle cartilage to functional demand. The results were as follows : 1. In the right muscle detached group, operated at 25 days of age, marked decrease on the chondroblastic zone was found in the condyle head on the right side of animals examined 10 days postoperatively. Comparing with the control group, no difference was found on the chondroblastic zone in the condylar head of animals examined 20, 50 and 80 days postoperatively. 2. In the bilateral muscle detached group, operated at 25 days of age, the chondroblastic zone was slightly decreased in the anterior parts of condylar head of animals examined 10 days postoperatively. 3. In the unilateral and bilateral muscle detached group, operated at 60 days of age, no significant change was found in the mandibular joint regardless of the post operative experimental periods. 4. Under Toluidine blue staining, slightly decreased metachromasia was found in the condyle head on the right side of unilateral experimental animals, operated at 25 days of age and examined 10 days postoperatively. 5. Under Masson's trichrome staining, increased metachromasia was found in the condyle head on the right side of unilateral experimental animals, operated at 25 days of age and examined 10 days postoperatively. In summary, the condyle of the rat could respond to changes in neuromuscular activity depend on the level of maturation of the tissue, because the endochondral bone formation of the condyle of the rat was almost ended within 3 months.