This paper presents a two-step method, based on magnetic resonance (MR) images, for threedimensional reconstruction of osseous components of a temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the mandibular condyle and the fossa. In the first step, images were segmented in order to extract the bony outline (contour) by using a two-dimensional deformable model. An object in the model was extracted by deforming the initial contour located near the object of the image. In the second step, using the surface reconstructed from the extracted contour as the initial surface, a three-dimensional deformable model was applied in order to extract the surface of the object. These procedures were handled semi-automatically. Multi-section 1-mm-thick sagittal images of the right normal TMJ were obtained with a 1.5-T MR system and surface coils by using a FLASH-3 D sequence (TR=50ms, TE=11ms) from an asymptomatic volunteer (male, age 31 years). From these images, the bony surfaces of TMJ were extracted using the above-mentioned method. Even though the extracted surfaces were a little smaller than the surface traced by e xperienced dentists, they showed the normal, anatomical form of TMJ.