BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis is a common oral disease with a high incidence. However, temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis is not easy to be detected in the early stage, and it is difficult to obtain clinical pathological specimens, so it is difficult to carry out related research. The application of digital 3D printing technology to animal models of Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis increases the consistency of the animal models, thus promoting the study of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To establish a standardized animal model of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis using novel digital technology. METHODS: According to the different modeling methods of unilateral anterior crossbite, 30 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into traditional model group, digital model group, and control group (n=10 per group). Cartilage specimens of the condyles were collected at 4 and 8 weeks after modeling. The apparent morphology was observed by stereoscopic microscope. The pathological morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and Safranin O/fast green staining. Changes in the expression of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α were observed by ELISA, and changes in the expression of aggrecan, type II collagen and matrix metalloproteinase-13 were observed by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Different degrees of degeneration were observed in the digital and traditional model groups. The body mass of rats in both the model groups decreased during the 1st week after intervention and subsequently demonstrated growth trend and were significantly lower than that in the control group. The results of stereoscopic microscope showed that at 4 and 8 weeks after modeling, the deformation and defect degree of the digital model group was significantly higher than that of the traditional model group. At these two time points, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International scores of the digital model group and the traditional model group were higher than those of the control group, and the Osteoarthritis Research Society International score of the digital model group was higher than that of the traditional model group (P < 0.05). Histopathological observation showed that the modified Mankin score and Osteoarthritis Research Society International score of the two model groups were significantly higher than those of the control group of the same age at 4 and 8 weeks after modeling (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining results showed that at two time points, compared with the control group of the same age, the expression of aggrecan and type II collagen decreased in the traditional model group and the digital model group, while the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 increased (P < 0.05). ELISA results showed that the expression levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α in the traditional and digital model groups were higher than those in the control group at 8 weeks, and the expression levels of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α in the digital model group were higher than those in the traditional model group (P < 0.05). To conclude, the personalized metal tube designed and produced by 3D printing technology can quickly guide the osteoarthritis-like lesions of the temporomandibular joint without repeated trial and adjustment, which is reproducible and suitable for promotion and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]