Objective: β-catenin plays a critical role in cartilage formation and development.Dysregulation of β-catenin causes cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis(OA)development in knee,hip and spine.Although there are indications that β-catenin plays a regulatory role in cartilage in joint tissues,this has not been well studied in temporomandibular joint(TMJ).The purpose of this study was to determine whether the constitutive activation of β-catenin in the articular cartilage could affect the homeostasis of this tissue in TMJ.