Infratemporal fossa

Infratemporal fossa
Left infratemporal fossa.
Latin	fossa infratemporalis
Gray's	subject #46 184

The infratemporal fossa is an irregularly shaped cavity, situated below and medial to the zygomatic arch.

Boundaries

It is bounded by the following structures:

• anteriorly, by the infratemporal surface of the maxilla and the ridge which descends from its zygomatic process

• posteriorly, by the articular tubercle of the temporal and the spinal angularis of the sphenoid

• superiorly, by the greater wing of the sphenoid below the infratemporal crest, and by the under surface of the temporal squama

• inferiorly, by the alveolar border of the maxilla

• medially, by the lateral pterygoid plate

• laterally, by the ramus of mandible

Floor is formed by the Medial pterygoid muscle (superior surface where it insets into the mandible)

Contents of the infratemporal fossa

Muscles

• the lower part of the Temporalis muscle
• lateral and medial pterygoid muscles

Vessels

The internal maxillary vessels, consisting of the maxillary artery originating from the external carotid artery and its branches.

Internal maxillary branches found within the infratemporal fossa including the

• middle meningeal artery
• inferior alveolar artery
• deep temporal artery
• buccal artery

Veins

• pterygoid venous plexus

Nerves

Mandibular nerve, inferior alveolar nerve, lingual nerve, buccal nerve, chorda tympani nerve, and otic ganglion.^[1]

Mandibular nerve

• Mandibular nerve which is the third branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V₃), also known as the "inferior maxillary nerve" or nervus mandibularis, enters infratemporal fossa from middle cranial fossa through foramen ovale.

Motor branches:

• masseteric nerve
• deep temporal nerve
• lateral pterygoid nerve and medial pterygoid nerve

Its motor fibers innervate all the muscles of mastication plus the mylohyoid, anterior belly of the digastric, and the tensores veli palati and tympani

Sensory innervation:

• meningeal nerve
• buccal nerve
• auriculotemporal nerve
• lingual nerve
• inferior alveolar nerve
• auricle
• external acoustic meatus
• tympanic membrane
• temporal region
• cheek
• skin overlying the mandible (except at the angle of the mandible)
• floor of mouth
• lower teeth
• gingiva

Osteology

The foramen ovale and foramen spinosum open on its roof, and the alveolar canals on its anterior wall.

At its upper and medial part are two fissures, which together form a T-shaped fissure, the horizontal limb being named the inferior orbital, and the vertical one the pterygomaxillary.

References

External links

• Infratemporal+fossa at eMedicine Dictionary

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.