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Lane Medical Library

Bassett Collection of Stereoscopic Images of Human Anatomy

Dissection of oral region

Left mandibular canal; inferior alveolar nerve and artery, lateral view

Image #68-7

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

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Dissection of oral region
Left mandibular canal; inferior alveolar nerve and artery, lateral view
The muscles of expression have been completely removed from the left half of the face. The lips, mucosa of the oral cavity with its associated glands, and the buccinator muscle (20) have been preserved. The ramus of the mandible, masseter and temporal muscles, and zygomatic arch have been cut away. The contents of the infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossae are visible. The body of the mandible has been partially cut away (22) in order to demonstrate the course of the inferior alveolar vessels and nerve (21). Numerous small veins filled with blue latex surrounded the inferior alveolar artery and nerve and were removed.
  1. Upper pointer: Infraorbital margin Lower pointer: Infraorbital foramen
  2. Nasal mucosal membrane (lateral wall)
  3. Septal cartilage
  4. Internal nasal branch of infraorbital nerve
  5. Orbicularis oris muscle (cut ends of fibers)
  6. Superior labial branch of infraorbital nerve
  7. Upper lip
  8. Superior labial artery
  9. Labial glands
  10. Mental nerve
  11. Temporalis muscle (fibers of origin in temporal fossa)
  12. Maxillary nerve (in pterygopalatine fossa)
  13. External pterygoid muscle (superior fascicle)
  14. Upper pointer: Deep anterior temporal artery Lower pointer: Superior posterior alveolar artery
  15. Buccal artery
  16. Buccal nerve
  17. External pterygoid muscle (inferior fascicle)
  18. Internal pterygoid muscle
  19. Upper pointer: Sphenomandibular ligament Middle pointer: Inferior alveolar artery (course within mandibular canal obscured by inferior alveolar nerve) Lower pointer: Inferior alveolaris nerve
  20. Buccinator muscle
  21. Inferior alveolar nerve within mandibular canal
  22. Mandible (lateral portion cut away to display contents of mandibular canal)
  23. External maxillary artery (cut off)
  24. Lymph node