Bilateral Temporomandibular Joint Changes Following Unilateral Posterior Occlusal Alteration in Rats: A Longitudinal MRI and Histomorphometric Study

Background/Objectives: Whether a unilateral posterior occlusal alteration produces bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) changes, and how imaging findings relate to tissue-level alterations, remains incompletely characterised. This study aimed to characterise the bilateral TMJ response to a sustained unilateral posterior occlusal alteration in rats using longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endpoint histological and histomorphometric assessment.