Infratemporal Fossa Flashcards
What are the boundaries of the temporal fossa?
Superior and inferior temporal lines, frontal and zygomatic bones, zygomatic arch
What are the contents of the infratemporal fossa?
Muscles of mastication, maxillary artery and vein, mandibular nerve, chorda tympani, otic ganglion, TMJ
What are the functions of the temporalis muscle?
Mostly elevation, but fibers are also involved in retraction
What are the functions of the masseter muscle?
Elevation and protrusion of the mandible
What are the functions of the lateral pterygoid?
Depression, protrusion, and lateral motion of mandible
What are the functions of the medial pterygoid?
Elevation, protrusion, and excursion of the mandible
What are the main branches of the maxillary artery?
Middle meningeal–>dura mater via foramen spinosum
Inferior alveolar–>Mandible and teeth
Buccal–>Buccinator, oral mucosa
Masseteric, deep temporal, pterygoid, posterior superior alveolar, infraorbital, sphenopalatine
What are the main venous drainage pathways of the pterygoid plexus?
Facial vein, cavernous sinus, maxillary vein
What is the pathway of the auriculotemporal nerve?
Its roots split around the middle meningeal artery and carries sensory to the temporal region and TMJ; it drops off parasympathetics to the parotid gland
How does the temporomandibular joint work?
The joint is a modified hinge joint and has an articular disk attached to the lateral pterygoid which pulls it from the mandibular fossa to allow the mandible to depress
Which two ligaments help stabilize the TMJ?
The stylomandibular and sphenomandibular ligaments
Which muscles can help depress the mandible if the hyoid is stabilized?
Digastrics, mylohyoid, genoihyoid, and stylohyoid
