Freezing, Flow and Proton NMR Properties of Water Compartments in the Temporomandibular Disc

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc is a loaded tissue that is subjected to pressure during virtually every functional movement. To understand the biomechanical properties of the TMJ disc requires a detailed understanding of how water is bound to and organized around the macromolecular components of the disc. Specifically, how much of the water in the disc is unbound to the macromolecular components and free to flow with the same characteristics of bulk water?