I - Temporal fossa

Has 2 temporal lines
1 – Superior Temporal Line: extending from zygomatic process of frontal bone anterior
curving up, then it goes to the base of zygomatic process of temporal bone surrounding
the temporal fossa.
2- Inferior Temporal Line

Boundaries
Anteriorly :
two processes :
1- zygomatic process of frontal bone
2- frontal process of zygomatic bone
Superiorly : The superior temporal
Line
Posteriorly : Posterior superior
temporal lines(bounding
it superior and posterior).
Lateraly
: Zygomatic arch
 Floor
contributed from 4 bones :
1- Parietal bone
2-Squamous part of temporal bone
3-Greater wing of sphenoid
4-Frontal bone
Form confluence(union) of sutures which is called Pterion which is a good clinical landmark
to mark the anterior division of middle meningial artery
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 Roof
Formed by temporalis covered by temporal fascia
 contents
1- temporalis muscle
2- temporal fascia
3- Deep temporal vessels (arteries and veins)
4- Deep Temporal nerves
5- Messeter muscle
 Temporal fascia :
Tough shaped apenorosis extending from outer margin of the superior and inferior temporal
lines, and its inferior will split down and attach to the outer surface of zygomatic arch and
the inner surface of zygomatic arch to cover it .

Temporalis Muscle
Fan-shaped muscle
Origin
: all the temporal fossa( superior temporal line, temporal fascia, and the floor of
the temporal fossa).
Its fibers : anterior fibers oriented vertically , and posterior fibers are horizontal
So this muscle works in 2 directions according to the orientation of the fibers
 Then it passes medial to the zygomatic arch
Insertion : to coronoid process and the anterior border of the ramus of mandible and may
reach the molar.
Action
: Elevation, Retruding protruded mandible with the elastic band (and actions are
According to fibers orientation)
We use it to eat simple things like biscuits or bread .
Nerve supply : deep temporal nerves (branches from mandibular nerve)
deep temporal vessels ascend from infra-temporal fossa to the temporal fossa to supply
Temporalis muscle.

Messeter muscle
The most powerful muscle in the body , and are 2 muscles super-imposed muscles over
each other in two directions, one of them is vertical and the other is oblique which gives it
the power for elevation .
2
The Superficial part runs oblique and the deep runs vertical .
Origin
Insertion
: Outer and inner surfaces of the zygomatic arch
: Outer surface of the angle of the mandible, and the outer surface of the
ramus of the mandible .
Nerve supply : supplied by Nerve to messeter muscle(motor nerve) which will pass through
the mandibular notch and is a branch from mandibular nerve(mixed nerve
which gives motor and sensory branches)
II - Infra-temporal fossa

Bounderies
Laterly
: ramus of the mandible
Medially : lateral pterigoid plate
Anteriorly : Infra-temporal surface of maxilla
Posteriorly: Head and neck of mandible
(articular process of mandible)
and styloid process

Roof
Infra-temporal part of greater wing of
sphenoid which contains : foramen ovali and
foramen spinosum (from anterior to
posterior) .

Contents
1- Arteries
2- Veins
3- Muscles
4- Nerves
:
:
:
:
Maxillary artery
Maxillary vein, pterigoid venous plexus
Medial and lateral pterigoid muscles
Mandibular nerve(and branches), Facial nerve(corda tendonae),
otic ganglion (parasympathetic, to parotid gland)
5- Ligament
III- Additional Notes (Mentioned in the lecture)
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 In the lab we removed the outer ramus of the mandible but we kept the coronoid
process and the articular process of the mandible and that is to show the medial
structures to the ramus of the mandible .
 As dentists we inject the patient in the inferior alveolar nerve so we have to be very
familiar with the area surrounding it in order not to injure the near structures like
Inferior Alveolar Artery and the Lingual Nerve .
 Mandibular nerve it’s the only mixed nerve (gives motor and sensor) gives motor
innervations to mastication muscles .
 One of the ways to anesthetize (‫ )تخدير‬the patient is the extra-oral block from
outside through the mandibular notch and we find the inferior alveolar nerve, which
has surrounding nerves messetric nerve and artery so we have to be careful.
 Buccal nerve (sensory)of mandibular nerve supplies the skin and mucosa
surrounding the buccinator, but the buccal branch of facial nerve supplies the
buccinators .
 Lingual nerve goes to the tongue for general sensation (cold, hot, pain.)
But taste comes from the facial nerve to the anterior 2/3 of the tongue .
(not sure about everything in this point, and the dr. said don’t write)
Done by : Omar H. Ashhab
Lecture #8
Monday 7-3-2011
Dr.Maher Al-Hadidi
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