Bassett Collection of Stereoscopic Images of Human Anatomy

Collection Home

Dissection of left infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossae

Nerve supply to external pterygoid muscle; temporomandibular articulation, anterolateral view

Image #65-4

KEYWORDS: Bones cartilage joints, Cheek, Face, Mouth, Muscles and tendons, Peripheral nervous system.

Creative Commons

Stanford holds the copyright to the David L. Bassett anatomical images and has assigned Creative Commons license Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International to all of the images.

For additional information regarding use and permissions, please contact Dr. Drew Bourn at dbourn@stanford.edu.

Dissection of left infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossae

Nerve supply to external pterygoid muscle; temporomandibular articulation, anterolateral view

The superior fascicle of the external pterygoid muscle has been divided at its origin and lifted to expose the nerve supply to both parts of the muscle. The temporomandibular joint has been opened and the head of the mandible pulled inferiorly to expose the articular disk. The bony walls of the orbit and middle cranial fossa have been resected. More of the mandible has been removed. The mylohyoid branch (36) of the inferior alveolar nerve is shown in relation to the lingula (17) of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament.

1 .	Cut edge of bony wall of middle cranial fossa
2 .	Periorbita
3 .	Dura mater and middle meningeal artery (anterior branch)
4 .	External pterygoid muscle (superior fascicle, retracted)
5 .	Pterygopalatine fossa
6 .	Masseteric nerve
7 .	Infraorbital artery and maxillary nerve (in background)
8 .	Superior posterior alveolar nerves
9 .	Deep anterior temporal artery (cut off)
10 .	Branch of buccinator nerve to temporalis muscle
11 .	Maxilla
12 .	Buccal nerve
13 .	Remnant of pterygoid venous plexus
14 .	Branches of buccinator nerve to external pterygoid muscle
15 .	External pterygoid muscle (inferior fascicle)
16 .	Molar glands
17 .	Lingula of mandible
18 .	Internal pterygoid muscle
19 .	Lingual nerve
20 .	Buccinator muscle
21 .	Temporal fossa
22 .	Zygomatic process temporal bone
23 .	Superior cavity of temporomandibular joint
24 .	Ext acoustic meatus
25 .	Articular disc
26 .	Inferior cavity of temporomandibular joint and capitulum (condyloid process) of mandible
27 .	Auriculotemporal nerve
28 .	Styloid process temporal bone (in background)
29 .	Facial nerve (VII)
30 .	Posterior auricular artery
31 .	Deep cervical lymph node (superior)
32 .	Neck (condyloid process) of mandible (cut across)
33 .	Inferior alveolar artery (cut off)
34 .	Posterior facial vein
35 .	Sphenomandibular ligament (the two bands were separated by veins and areolar connective tissue)
36 .	Mylohyoid nerve (inferior alveolar nerve cut away)
37 .	Posterior belly of digastric muscle
38 .	Ramus of mandible