Medial And Lateral Pterygoid Muscle: Anatomy And Function

Medial And Lateral Pterygoid Muscle: Anatomy And Function

Why lateral pterygoid muscle is regarded as the key muscle of the infratemporal region? List its relations.
Answer.

The lateral pterygoid muscle is regarded as the key muscle of the infratemporal region because its relations provide the fair idea of the layout of the structures in the infratemporal fossa.

Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Relations

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Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Superficial relations

• Masseter
• Ramus of mandible
• Tendon of temporalis
• Maxillary artery

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Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Deep relations

• Mandibular nerve
• Middle meningeal artery
• Sphenomandibular ligament
• Deep head of medial pterygoid

Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Structures emerging from the upper border

• Deep temporal nerves
• Masseteric nerve

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Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Structures emerging from its lower border

• Lingual nerve
• Inferior alveolar nerve
• Middle meningeal artery (in fact passes upward deep to muscle)

Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Structures passing between two heads

• Maxillary artery (enters)
• Buccal branch of mandibular nerve (comes out)