MANDIBULAR POSITIONING. THE EFFECT OF PRESSURE ON THE JOINT CAPSULE

Abstract
The positioning ability of the mandible was not affected by pressure under normal conditions; but if it was first impaired, the application of pressure resulted in normalization of the results. The normalizing effect of pressure was due to nervous elements in the lateral parts of the joint capsule with its ligament[long dash]in all probability the joint receptors. The impairment caused by unilateral anesthesia or distracting stimuli is possibly due to a decrease in the afferent flow to the central structures governing the positioning of the mandible. The pressure on the joint capsule with its ligament compensates for this decrease in afferent impulses so that the discriminatory function is restored.