Fossae

Question 1

What are the borders of the temporal fossae?

Answer 1

1. Superior: Superior temporal line
2. Inferior: Zygomatic arch
3. Anterior: Frontal process of zygomatic, zygomatic process of frontal.
4. Posterior: Superior temporal line
5. Medial: Temporal, frontal, parietal, and greater wing of sphenoid.

Question 2

What are the contents of the temporal fossa?

Answer 2

Temporalis muscle.

Question 3

What is the arterial supply and venous drainage of the temporal fossa?

Answer 3

A: Superficial temporal, middle temporal, Anterior/posterior deep temporal
V: Superficial middle, anterior/posterior deep temporals, and maxillary.

Question 4

What is the innervation of the temporal fossa?

Answer 4

• Deep temporal from V3 motor
• Auriculotemporal V3 cutaneous
• Zygomaticotemporal V2 cutaneous

Question 5

What are the borders of the infratemporal fossa?

Answer 5

1. Superior/roof
   -Greater wing of sphenoid
   -Foramen ovale and spinosum
2. Inferior/floor
   -No anatomic floor
   -Ends where medial pterygoid attaches to the
   mandible
3. Lateral wall
   -Ramus and coronoid process of mandible
4. Medial wall
   -Lateral pterygoid plate
   -Superior constrictor m.
   -Palatine bone
5. Anterior wall
   -Posterior maxilla
6. Posterior wall
   -Temporal bone

Question 6

What are the bony landmarks of the infratemporal fossa?

Answer 6

• Foramen ovale
• Foramen spinosum
• Mandibular fossa
• Petrotympanic fissure
• Inferior orbital fissure
• Pterygomaxillary fissure

Question 7

What are the muscular contents of the infratemporal fossa?

Answer 7

• Temporalis m.
• Lateral pterygoid m.
• Medial pterygoid m.
• Sphenomandibular ligament

Question 8

What are the arteries and veins of the infratemporal fossa?

Answer 8

A: 1st and 2nd parts of Maxillary artery, PSA of 3rd part.
V: Pterygoid plexus of veins

Question 9

What are the nerve contents of the infratemporal fossa?

Answer 9

• V3
• Posterior superior alveolar n. (of V2)
• Chorda tympani (of VII)
• Otic ganglion
• Lesser petrosal n. (of IX)

Question 10

What is the sphenomandibular ligament a part of? Attachements?

Answer 10

Extracapsular ligament of TMJ

-Attaches to sphenoid bone and lingula of mandible.

Question 11

What goes through the foramen ovale in the infratemporal fossa?

Answer 11

• Mandibular nerve (V3)
• Lesser petrosal nerve (from IX)
• Emissary veins
  
  • Traveling from cavernous sinus to pterygoid plexus
• Otic ganglion is directly inferior to the foramen ovale.

Question 12

What is traveling through the foramen spinosum of the infratemporal fossa?

Answer 12

• Middle meningeal artery
• Middle meningeal vein
• Meningeal nerve (from V3)

Question 13

What are the contents of the mandibular fossa?

Answer 13

TMJ

Question 14

What are the contents of the petrotympanic fissure?

Answer 14

• Chorda Tympani (VII)

- Anterior tympanic a.

Question 15

What are the contents of the inferior orbital fissure of the infratemporal fossa?

Answer 15

• Zygomatic n. and infraorbital n. of V2
• Ascending branches from pterygopalatine ganglion
• Infraorbital vessels
• Inferior division of ophthalmic v.

Question 16

What does the pterygomaxillary fissure act as? Contents?

Answer 16

Acts as doorway between infratemporal and pterypalatine fossa.

• PSA n
• PSA a. v.
• 3rd part of Maxillary a.
• Pterygoid plexus

Question 17

What are the borders of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 17

1. Superior wall/roof
   -Greater wing of sphenoid and palatine bone
2. Inferior wall/ floor
   -Pyramidal process of palatine bone
3. Anterior wall
   -Maxilla
4. Posterior wall
   -Sphenoid bone, pterygoid plates
5. Medial wall
   -Palatine bone
6. Lateral wall
   -None
   -Open to the pterygomaxillary fissure and
   infratemporal fossa

Question 18

What are the major conents of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 18

• Maxillary nerve V2
• Maxillary artery
• Pterygopalatine ganglion

Question 19

What are the 7 openings of the pterygopalatine fossa, and where they lead to?

Answer 19

1. Sphenopalatine foramen: to nasal cavity
2. Foramen rotundum: middle cranial fossa
3. Pterygoid (vidian) canal: Middle cranial fossa
4. Inferior orbital fissure: Orbit
5. Pterygomaxillary fissure: infratemporal fossa
6. Palatovaginal calal: Nasopharynx
7. Palatine canal: palate

Question 20

What structures go through foramen rotundum?

Answer 20

V2 nerve

Question 21

What structures go through the pterygoid (vidian) canal?

Answer 21

Nerve of pterygoid canal (vidian nerve)

Pterygoid a.

Question 22

Vidian nerve peirces what structure to reach pterygoid canal?

Answer 22

Perices the cartilage that covers the foramen lacerum.

Question 23

What structures go through the palatovaginal canal?

Answer 23

• Pharyngeal nerve of V2

- Pharyngeal artery

Question 24

What goes through the palatine canal?

Answer 24

-Greater and lesser palatine nerves and vessels

Question 25

what goes through the inferior orbital fissure?

Answer 25

-Infraorbital nerves (from V2)
   ASA (from V2)
   MSA (from V2)
-Zygomatic nerve (from V2)
   Zygomaticotemporal n.
   Zygomaticofacial n.
-Infraorbital a. and v.
-Inferior ophthalmic v.

Question 26

What are the structures of the sphenopalatine foramen?

Answer 26

• Nasopalatine n (V2)

- Sphenopalatine (nasopalatine) vessels

Question 27

What is the arterial supply of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 27

-3rd part of Maxillary a, except PSA

Question 28

What is the venous drainage of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 28

• Pterygoid plexus

- Inferior ophthalmic

Question 29

What is the innervation of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 29

Branches of V2

Vidian nerve