HNSS Anatomy: Pterygopalatine Fossa and TMJ

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Questions and Answers

Where is the pterygopalatine fossa located?

deep face

What structures does the pterygopalatine fossa serve as a major crossroad between?

  • Oral cavity, nasal cavity, nasopharynx (correct)
  • Orbit, masticator space, middle cranial fossa (correct)
  • All of the above
  • None of the above

The TMJ is a bicondylar joint.

True (A)

What bone does the TMJ connect the mandible to?

<p>skull</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of joint is the TMJ?

<p>Diarthrodial sliding-ginglymoid synovial joint (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Pterygopalatine Fossa

  • Located in the deep face, serves as a major neurovascular crossroad between the oral cavity, nasal cavity, nasopharynx, orbit, masticator space, and middle cranial fossa
  • A small, clinically inaccessible, fat-filled space
  • Accommodates clinically important neurovascular structures

Neurovascular Structures

  • Posterior lateral nasal arteries: supply the lateral wall of the nasal cavity and contribute to the supply of the paranasal sinuses
  • Posterior septal branches: supply the nasal septum; the largest of these branches passes anteriorly down the septum to anastomose with the end of the greater palatine artery

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)

  • Connects the mandible to the skull and regulates mandibular movement
  • A bicondylar joint in which the condyles, located at the two ends of the mandible, function at the same time
  • A complex diarthrodial sliding-ginglymoid synovial joint that attaches the mandible to the petrous part of the temporal bone of the cranium

TMJ Characteristics

  • The disc maintains its morphology unless destructive forces or structural changes occur in the joint
  • If changes occur, the morphology of the disc can be irreversibly altered, producing biomechanical changes during function

Auriculotemporal Nerve

  • As it leaves the mandibular nerve behind the TMJ, it ascends laterally and superiorly to wrap around the posterior region of the joint

TMJ Ligaments

  • Responsible for the hinging movement of the TMJ, which occurs between the condyle and the articular disc
  • The entire TMJ is surrounded and encompassed by the capsular ligament

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