Infratemporal fossa
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| Infratemporal fossa | |
|---|---|
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| Left infratemporal fossa. | |
| Latin | fossa infratemporalis |
| Gray's | subject #46 184 |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | f_14/12376096 |
The infratemporal fossa is an irregularly shaped cavity, situated below and medial to the zygomatic arch.
It is bounded, in front, by the infratemporal surface of the maxilla and the ridge which descends from its zygomatic process; behind, by the articular tubercle of the temporal and the spinal angularis of the sphenoid; above, by the great wing of the sphenoid below the infratemporal crest, and by the under surface of the temporal squama; below, by the alveolar border of the maxilla; medially, by the lateral pterygoid plate.
It contains the lower part of the Temporalis, the Pterygoidei internus and externus, the internal maxillary vessels, and the mandibular and maxillary nerves.
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.
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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.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.
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