[The discal system of the temporo-mandibular junction].

The discal apparatus represent the intra-articular part of the lateral pterygoid muscle tendon, which is differentiated in front of articular surfaces. It is involved in craniomandibular shock absorbing, joint proprioception, and also plays an important part in both condylar growth and morphogenesis. This is to emphasize the different roles of this apparatus, which should be religiously preserved, its lesions being, most of the time, irreversible and cause of TMJ disorders.