MMP-13 performs digestion of collagen, which is a primary component of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) articular disc. This study evaluated the expression of MMP-13 in patients with anterior disc displacement with (ADDwR) and without reduction (ADDwoR), and in the presence of TMJ osteoarthrosis.
Thirty-nine human temporomandibular joint disc samples were collected and divided in two ways: ADDwR (21 samples), ADDwoR (10 samples), and a control group (8 samples); and with osteoarthrosis (10 samples) and without osteoarthrosis (29 samples). Immunostaining of the TMJ discs was statistically compared between the groups.
There was no statistically significant difference for the area of MMP-13 immunostaining between the control group, ADDwR, and ADDwoR, nor between groups with and without osteoarthrosis.
This study suggests MMP-13 is not significantly involved in collagen degradation in human TMJ disc displacement or osteoarthrosis.