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The pterygoid muscles are two of the four muscles of mastication, located in the infratemporal fossa of the skull. These muscles are the lateral pterygoid and the medial pterygoid. The primary function of the pterygoids is to produce movements of the mandible at the temporomandibular joint. The lateral pterygoid is a short, two-headed muscle, while the medial pterygoid is a thick quadrilateral muscle. Both muscles are innervated by branches of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve and receive their blood supply from the maxillary artery.
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What You'll Learn
- The lateral pterygoid muscle is a craniomandibular muscle that plays a role in the inferior temporal region
- The medial pterygoid muscle is a thick quadrilateral muscle with two heads, a superficial and a deep head
- The pterygoid muscles are two of the four muscles of mastication, located in the infratemporal fossa of the skull
- The lateral pterygoid muscle may be involved in temporomandibular joint dysfunction
- The medial pterygoid muscle is involved in multiple actions, including moving the mandible to the opposite side at the temporomandibular joint
The lateral pterygoid muscle is a craniomandibular muscle that plays a role in the inferior temporal region
The lateral pterygoid muscle is a craniomandibular muscle that plays a crucial role in the inferior temporal region. It is one of the four muscles of mastication, along with the medial pterygoid, masseter, and temporalis muscles. The lateral pterygoid is the only muscle among this group that participates in depressing the mandible, allowing for mandibular movements such as protrusion, abduction, and mediotrusion.
The lateral pterygoid muscle has two heads or bellies, the inferior belly and the superior belly, with the former being three times larger than the latter. These bellies were classically described as having distinct functions, with the inferior belly depressing, protruding, and deviating the mandible to the contralateral side, and the superior belly elevating the mandible to close the mouth. However, recent studies suggest that the superior belly may also be active during mouth opening, protrusion, and contralateral deviation, similar to the functions of the inferior belly.
The lateral pterygoid muscle is innervated by the lateral pterygoid nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3), which is further a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It receives its blood supply from the pterygoid branches of the maxillary artery, as well as the ascending palatine branch of the facial artery. The primary function of this muscle is to pull the head of the condyle out of the mandibular fossa, resulting in the protrusion of the mandible.
The lateral pterygoid muscle is particularly active during speaking, singing, and clenching, and it works in conjunction with other muscles such as the digastric, mylohyoid, and geniohyoid muscles. The muscle is also implicated in temporomandibular joint dysfunction, where a lack of coordination between its superior and inferior bellies can lead to disturbances in the positioning of the intra-articular disc relative to the condyle.
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The medial pterygoid muscle is a thick quadrilateral muscle with two heads, a superficial and a deep head
The pterygoid muscles are two of the four muscles of mastication, located in the infratemporal fossa of the skull. These muscles are the lateral pterygoid and the medial pterygoid. The primary function of the pterygoid muscles is to produce movements of the mandible at the temporomandibular joint, which is crucial for the act of chewing.
The medial pterygoid muscle is innervated by the medial pterygoid branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V3). It receives blood supply from the pterygoid branches of the maxillary artery, with contributions from the ascending palatine artery and muscular branches of the facial artery.
The unilateral contraction of the medial pterygoid muscle causes a slight medial rotation of the mandible, resulting in the mandible swinging anteriorly and medially when occurring simultaneously with the contraction of the ipsilateral lateral pterygoid. The bilateral contraction of the medial pterygoid muscle, along with the lateral pterygoid, elevates the mandible and closes the mouth. This movement is essential for chewing and produces the movement known as protrusion.
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The pterygoid muscles are two of the four muscles of mastication, located in the infratemporal fossa of the skull
The pterygoid muscles are a pair of muscles that facilitate mastication, or the process of chewing. They are located in the infratemporal fossa of the skull and are known as the lateral pterygoid and medial pterygoid. These muscles work together to produce movements of the mandible, or jaw bone, at the temporomandibular joint, allowing for essential functions such as chewing and grinding.
The lateral pterygoid muscle is a short, two-headed muscle. The smaller superior head originates from the infratemporal crest of the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, while the larger inferior head arises from the lateral surface of the lateral pterygoid plate. The fibres of both heads merge and insert into the pterygoid fovea on the neck of the mandible. The primary function of the lateral pterygoid is to pull the head of the condyle out of the mandibular fossa, assisting in lowering the mandible and opening the jaw. It is the only muscle of mastication capable of depressing the mandible.
The medial pterygoid muscle, on the other hand, is a thick, quadrilateral muscle with two distinct heads: a superficial head and a deep head. The smaller superficial head originates from the maxillary tuberosity and pyramidal process of the palatine bone. The larger deep head arises from the medial surface of the lateral pterygoid plate at the base of the skull. The medial pterygoid muscle has a triple function. Firstly, when contracting bilaterally with the lateral pterygoid, it results in the protrusion of the mandible. Secondly, its unilateral contraction with the lateral pterygoid causes the mandible to swing to the opposite side, a crucial movement for chewing. Thirdly, it works in conjunction with the masseter and temporalis muscles to elevate the mandible and close the mouth.
The pterygoid muscles receive their blood supply from the pterygoid branches of the maxillary artery, with the lateral pterygoid also receiving supply from the ascending palatine branch of the facial artery. The lateral pterygoid is innervated by the lateral pterygoid nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3), which is itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). Similarly, the medial pterygoid is innervated by the medial pterygoid nerve, a branch of the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V).
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The lateral pterygoid muscle may be involved in temporomandibular joint dysfunction
The pterygoid muscles are two of the four muscles of mastication, with the lateral pterygoid muscle being one of them. The lateral pterygoid muscle is a short, two-headed muscle, located in the infratemporal fossa of the skull. The primary function of the lateral pterygoid muscle is to pull the head of the condyle out of the mandibular fossa along the articular eminence to protrude the mandible. The muscle is supplied by the lateral pterygoid nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3), itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V).
The lateral pterygoid muscle may be involved in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. TMJ dysfunction, or temporomandibular disorder (TMD), is characterised by pain in the temporomandibular joint and can be caused by poor coordination of the superior and inferior heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle, which can disrupt the position of the articular disc of the TMJ. This can result in lockjaw and pain during mandibular movements.
Electromyographic studies have been conducted to investigate the function of the two individual heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle in both healthy individuals and patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction. These studies found that the lower head of the lateral pterygoid muscle, which is normally only active during depression, protrusion, and deviation of the mandible, becomes active during closing and clenching in patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
The lateral pterygoid muscle has also been implicated in the onset phase of temporomandibular joint pain-dysfunction syndrome, and its role in the pathology of temporomandibular joint dysfunction has been explored through bioelectrical activity measurements of the masticatory muscles. Furthermore, the use of Botulinum Toxin A as a potential treatment for temporomandibular joint disorders has been investigated.
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The medial pterygoid muscle is involved in multiple actions, including moving the mandible to the opposite side at the temporomandibular joint
The pterygoid muscles are two of the four muscles of mastication, located in the infratemporal fossa of the skull. These muscles are the lateral pterygoid and the medial pterygoid. The primary function of the pterygoid muscles is to produce movements of the mandible at the temporomandibular joint. The medial pterygoid muscle is involved in multiple actions, including moving the mandible to the opposite side at the temporomandibular joint.
The medial pterygoid muscle is a thick quadrilateral muscle with a superficial head and a deep head. The deep head is larger than the superficial head. The medial pterygoid muscle originates on the pterygoid process, which is a downward-pointing extension of the sphenoid bone. The superficial head of the medial pterygoid has its origin from the maxillary tuberosity of the inferior maxilla, and the deep head originates from the medial surface of the lateral pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone. The fibres of the medial pterygoid muscle converge inferiorly, forming a tendon that inserts on the medial ramus of the mandible.
The medial pterygoid muscle has three main functions. Firstly, the bilateral contraction of the medial pterygoid muscle with the lateral pterygoid muscle results in protrusion of the mandible. Secondly, the unilateral contraction of the medial pterygoid muscle with the lateral pterygoid muscle on the same side results in lateral movement of the mandible towards the opposite side. This movement is crucial for the act of chewing. Thirdly, the medial pterygoid muscle functions together with the masseter and temporalis muscles to elevate the mandible.
The medial pterygoid muscle receives its blood supply from the maxillary artery through its pterygoid branches and from the facial artery through its muscular branches. The medial pterygoid muscle is innervated by the medial pterygoid nerve, a branch of the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve.
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Frequently asked questions
The pterygoid muscles are two of the four muscles of mastication, located in the infratemporal fossa of the skull. These muscles are: lateral pterygoid and medial pterygoid.
The primary function of the pterygoid muscles is to produce movements of the mandible at the temporomandibular joint. The lateral pterygoid muscle is crucial for the inferior temporal region and is active during mastication and mandibular movements. The medial pterygoid muscle has a triple function, with the first being the bilateral contraction of the muscle with the lateral pterygoid muscle, resulting in the protrusion of the mandible.
The pterygoid muscles receive their blood supply from the pterygoid branches of the maxillary artery.
The lateral pterygoid muscle is supplied by the lateral pterygoid nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve. The medial pterygoid muscle is supplied by the medial pterygoid nerve, which is a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3), also known as the trigeminal nerve.
