The muscles of mastication derive from a common embryological source, and the presence of accessory muscles in the infratemporal fossa (ITF) is uncommon. Here, we present findings from postmortem dissection of the ITF revealing a unilaterally present muscle extending from the greater wing of the sphenoid to blend inferiorly with the medial and lateral pterygoid muscles before attaching to the lateral pterygoid plate. This muscle is most consistent with the pterygoideus proprius muscle initially described in 1858. Though the exact embryological origin and function of this muscle remain speculative, these topics are nonetheless worth investigating as it may provide insight regarding the ontogeny of muscles descending from the first pharyngeal arch. Additionally, presence of the pterygoideus proprius muscle may have clinical implications and impact surrounding structures such as the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, maxillary artery, pterygoid venous plexus, masticatory muscles, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
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http://dx.doi.org/10.5603/fm.95708 | DOI Listing |
Medicina (Kaunas)
November 2024
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, "Victor Babeş" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timişoara, Romania.
The lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM), a critical component of the masticatory muscles, typically comprises upper (SLPM) and lower (ILPM) heads. However, it is essential to note that the LPM's structure is not a constant feature, as the number of bundles and their topography can vary. Moreover, additional heads, such as medial and middle heads, and unique-headed configurations of the LPM have been reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFolia Morphol (Warsz)
May 2024
Department of Anatomy, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA, United States.
The muscles of mastication derive from a common embryological source, and the presence of accessory muscles in the infratemporal fossa (ITF) is uncommon. Here, we present findings from postmortem dissection of the ITF revealing a unilaterally present muscle extending from the greater wing of the sphenoid to blend inferiorly with the medial and lateral pterygoid muscles before attaching to the lateral pterygoid plate. This muscle is most consistent with the pterygoideus proprius muscle initially described in 1858.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Anat
November 2024
Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, True Blue, Grenada.
The pterygoideus proprius muscle can be found incidentally in the infratemporal fossa, where it is spatially associated with the muscles of mastication, the maxillary artery, and the trigeminal nerve and its branches. Anatomists have described the muscle in various ways over the past 160 years, chiefly as a musculotendinous structure that originates from the infratemporal crest of the sphenoid bone and inserts into the lateral pterygoid plate and the lateral pterygoid muscle. It is present in non-human primates, albeit rarely, with similar anatomical findings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Anat
December 2010
Laboratory of Environmental and Occupational Physiology, Haute Ecole Paul Henri Spaak, Brussels, Belgium.
There is a limited understanding of the normal function of the pterygoïdeus proprius muscle and the role that this muscle may have in temporomandibular disorders. Despite a well-described anatomical in-vitro approach to this muscle, there are still difficulties in investigating the fossa pterygopalatina. This study reveals an alternative in-vivo approach by magnetic resonance imaging to visualise the muscle in the fossa pterygopalatina on 78 head halves, describe the connections with the musculus temporalis and pterygoïdeus lateralis as well as report the incidence without dealing with the known inconveniences of the dissection approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFolia Morphol (Warsz)
August 2007
Department of Cell Biology, Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
The infratemporal fossa is often the site of pathology or surgical intervention. We describe an unusual muscle found during the routine dissection of the right infratemporal fossa. The literature germane to this variable muscle, best described as a variant of the pterygoideus proprius, is reviewed.
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