During TMJ development, the articular disc forms during which stage?

During TMJ development, the articular disc forms during which stage?

• A. Blastemic
• B. Cavitation (weeks 9-11)
• C. Maturation (after 12 weeks)
• D. Ossification

Answer: (C)

During TMJ development, the articular disc forms during the maturation phase, after about 12 weeks. Early on, mesenchyme condenses to shape the basic joint components, and the joint cavity begins to form in the cavitation stage (weeks 9–11). But the articular disc itself differentiates later, as tissues mature, becoming a fibrocartilaginous structure that sits between the developing condyle and temporal bone and partitions the joint into upper and lower compartments. This maturation timing fits the disc’s role in enabling both hinge and gliding movements of the TMJ. Ossification is about bone formation, not the formation of the disc, which remains fibrous cartilage.

During TMJ development, the articular disc forms during the maturation phase, after about 12 weeks. Early on, mesenchyme condenses to shape the basic joint components, and the joint cavity begins to form in the cavitation stage (weeks 9–11). But the articular disc itself differentiates later, as tissues mature, becoming a fibrocartilaginous structure that sits between the developing condyle and temporal bone and partitions the joint into upper and lower compartments. This maturation timing fits the disc’s role in enabling both hinge and gliding movements of the TMJ. Ossification is about bone formation, not the formation of the disc, which remains fibrous cartilage.