Temporal and infratemporal fossae

Lecture 3

OBJECTIVES

• Understand the temporal region

– Boundaries

– Contents

– Blood supply

• Know infratemporal region

– Boundaries

– Contents

Temporal region

• Temporal fossa

• Infratemporal fossa

• Regions above and below zygomatic arch

Temporal fossa

• Contains the temporalis muscle

• Boundaries

Post& sup- temporal lines

Ant- frontal & zygomatic bones

Lat- zygomatic arch

Inf- infratemporal crest

• Floor

frontal bone

Parietal bone

Temporal bone

Greater wing of the sphenoid

Pterion

• Roof – temporalis fascia

Attaches to the superior temporal line

• Contents- temporalis muscle

Deep temporal nerve & vessels

TF

TM

Deep temporal nerve& vessels

Infratemporal fossa

• Region deep and inferior to zygomatic arch

• Boundaries

Lat- ramus of the mandible

Medially- lateral pterygoid plate

Ant- post aspect of maxilla

Post- tympanic plate, mastoid, styloid processes

Sup- infratemporal surface of the sphenoid bone

Inf- attachment of the medial pterygoid muscle on the angle of mandible

Contents

• Temporalis muscle

• Pterygoid muscles

• Maxillary artery

• Pterygoid venous plexus

• Nerves Mandibular

Inferior alveolar

Lingual

Buccal

Chorda tympani

Otic ganglion

Pterygoid venous plexus

Maxillary .a

Lingual nerve

Inf. Alveolar N

• Pterigoid venous plexus

Clinical

• Spread of infections to the intracranial fossa

Thank you