Background: The temporomandibular joint is an oval fibrous plate that completely divides the joint and accomodates irregularities existent in the bone articular surfaces. Aim: To study the frequency of temporomandibular joint disk abnormalities among Colombian subjects. Material and methods: We studied 120 temporomandibular joint disks obtained from fresh cadavers arrived in the Instituto de Medicina Legal, in Cali Colombia. These were analyzed according to subject's dental status and age. Results: ninteen percent of disks had small erosion. In 7,5% of disks there were wider erosions or perforations. Twenty six percent of disks were very thin and this alteration was seen mostly in people aged 50 years or older. Conclusions: These results are intermediate between those who claim that disk perforations are rare and those who had shown the opposite. The loss of dental pieces seems to be a risk factor leading to such disk perforation.