Background: The temporomandibular joint is an oval fibrous plate that completely divides the joint and accommodates irregularities existent in the bone articular surfaces.
Aim: To study the frequency of temporomandibular joint disk abnormalities among Colombian subjects.
Material and methods: We studied 120 temporomandibular joint disks obtained from fresh cadavers arrived in the Instituto de Medicina Legal, in Cali Colombia. These were analyzed according to subject's dental status and age.
Results: Nineteen percent of disks had small erosions. In 7.5% of disks there were wider erosions or perforations. Twenty six percent of discs were very thin and this alteration was seen mostly in people aged 50 years or older.
Conclusions: These results are intermediate between those who claim that disk perforations are rare and those who had shown tile opposite. The loss of dental pieces seems to be a risk factor leading to such disk perforation.