<P> The main components are the joint capsule, articular disc, mandibular condyles, articular surface of the temporal bone, temporomandibular ligament, stylomandibular ligament, sphenomandibular ligament, and lateral pterygoid muscle . </P> <P> The capsule is a dense fibrous membrane that surrounds the joint and incorporates the articular eminence . It attaches to the articular eminence, the articular disc and the neck of the mandibular condyle . </P> <P> The unique feature of the temporomandibular joint is the articular disc . The disc is composed of dense fibrous connective tissue that is positioned between the two bones that form the joint . The temporomandibular joints are one of the few synovial joints in the human body with an articular disc, another being the sternoclavicular joint . The disc divides each joint into two . These two compartments are synovial cavities, which consists of an upper and a lower synovial cavity . The synovial membrane lining the joint capsule produces the synovial fluid that fills these cavities . </P> <P> The central area of the disc is avascular and lacks innervation, and, in contrast, the peripheral region has both blood vessels and nerves . Few cells are present, but fibroblasts and white blood cells are among these . The central area is also thinner but of denser consistency than the peripheral region, which is thicker but has a more cushioned consistency . The synovial fluid in the synovial cavities provides the nutrition for the avascular central area of the disc . With age, the entire disc thins and may undergo addition of cartilage in the central part, changes that may lead to impaired movement of the joint . </P>

What type of tissue covers the articular surfaces of the human temporomandibular joint