Life Science Encyclopedia

The infratemporal fossa is an irregularly shaped cavity, situated below and medial to the zygomatic arch.

Boundaries

It is bounded by the following structures:

• anteriorly, by the infratemporal surface of the maxilla and the ridge which descends from its zygomatic process

• posteriorly, by the articular tubercle of the temporal and the spinal angularis of the sphenoid

• superiorly, by the greater wing of the sphenoid below the infratemporal crest, and by the under surface of the temporal squama

• inferiorly, by the alveolar border of the maxilla

• medially, by the lateral pterygoid plate

• laterally, by the ramus of mandible

it has no floor

Contents of the infratemporal fossa

Muscles

• the lower part of the Temporalis muscle
• the Pterygoidei internus and externus (internal and external pterygoid muscle)

Vessels

The internal maxillary vessles, consisting of the maxillary artery originating from the external carotid artery and its branches.

Internal maxillary branches found within the infratemporal fossa including the

• middle meningeal artery
• inferior alveolar artery
• deep temporal artery
• buccal artery

Nerves

Mandibular nerve, inferior alveolar nerve, lingual nerve, buccal nerve, chorda tympani nerve, and otic ganglion.^[1]

Mandibular nerve

• Mandibular nerve which is the third branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V₃), also known as the "inferior maxillary nerve" or nervus mandibularis, enters infratemporal fossa from middle cranial fossa through foramen ovale.

Motor branches:

• meningeal nerve
• masseteric nerve
• deep temporal nerve
• lateral pterygoid nerve and medial pterygoid nerve
• buccal nerve
• auriculotemporal nerve
• lingual nerve
• inferior alveolar nerve

Its motor fibers innervate all the muscles of mastication plus the mylohyoid, anterior belly of the digastric, and the tensores veli palati and tympani

Sensory innervation:

• auricle
• external acoustic meatus
• tympanic membrane
• temporal region
• cheek
• skin overlying the mandible (except at the angle of the mandible)
• anterior 2/3 of tongue
• floor of mouth
• lower teeth
• gingiva

Osteology

The foramen ovale and foramen spinosum open on its roof, and the alveolar canals on its anterior wall.

At its upper and medial part are two fissures, which together form a T-shaped fissure, the horizontal limb being named the inferior orbital, and the vertical one the pterygomaxillary.

References

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.