Calcifications of the disc of the temporomandibular joint.

Calcified lesions of the temporomandibular joint discs obtained from 135 human cadavers were studied. Calcifications were observed in 92 of 250 discs by soft x-ray radiography. Studies by light and electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction revealed that there were two different types of calcification in the discs: apatite crystal deposition with or without ossification, and calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition. Calcifications were recognized more frequently posteriorly than anteriorly, and were related to disc perforation. The results of this investigation suggest that disc degeneration, which may occur as a result of aging or mechanical stress, causes calcifications.