Osteoarthritis-like changes in rat temporomandibular joint induced by unilateral anterior large overjet treatment

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a common degenerative disease that causes chronic pain and joint dysfunction. However, the current understanding of TMJOA pathogenesis is limited and necessitates further research. Animal models are crucial for investigating TMJOA due to the scarcity of clinical samples. Class II malocclusion is an occlusal type highly associated with TMJOA, but it currently lacks appropriate animal models for simulating this malocclusion in research. Therefore, this study develops a new malocclusion model using a unilateral anterior large overjet (UALO) dental device to cause Class II malocclusion characteristics and TMJOA-like pathological alterations in rats. By inducing a posteriorly positioned condyle, the UALO device effectively results in cartilage degradation, subchondral bone loss, condylar volume reduction, and mandibular retrusion. Furthermore, RNA sequencing of condylar cartilages revealed that the oxidative stress of chondrocytes was elevated under the UALO-triggered abnormal mechanical stress. Disruption of antioxidant systems and mitochondrial dysfunction are involved in cartilage degeneration. The current study provides a novel and reliable rat model suitable for TMJOA research and offers insights into the disease’s potential mechanistic pathways and molecular targets, contributing to a deeper understanding of TMJOA.