Infratemporal Fossa

The subtemporal fossa is the caudal continuation of the temporal fossa. The name comes from the relation to the m. temporalis. The fossa continues as fossa pterygopalatina.

Boundary

Cranially: facies infratemporalis ossis sphenoidalis, pars squamosa ossis temporalis
Ventrally: tuber maxillae
Dorsally: spatium prestyloideum
Medially': lamina lateralis processus pterygoidei ossis sphenoidalis, processus pyramidalis ossis palatini
Lateral: ramus mandibulae

Passages

Foramen ovale'

• third branch of the trigeminal nerve - nervus mandibularis
• venous connections - plexus venosus foraminis ovalis

Foramen spinosum'

• branch from the third branch of the trigeminus nerve – ramus meningeus
• middle meningeal artery, middle meningeal vein

Foramen mandibulae'

• nervus, arteria et vena alveolaris inferior

Fissura pterygomaxillaris'

• venous tributaries to plexus pterygoideus
• maxillary artery

Fissura petrotympanica'

• anterior tympanic artery and vein
• chorda tympani

Foramen lacerum'

• synchondrosis sphenopetrosa

Foramen petrosum'

• minor petrosal nerve

Foramina alveolaria tuberis maxillae'

• rami alveolares superiores posteriores

Contents

• m. pterygoideus medialis et lateralis
• m. temporalis
• a. maxillaris and its branches: a. meningea media, a. alveolaris inferior, a. buccalis, a. temporales profundae, a. tympanica anterior and muscle branches in the pars pterygoidea
• pterygoid plexus
  
• n. mandibularis and its branches: n. auriculotemporalis, n. alveolaris inferior, n. lingualis, n. buccalis and then chorda tympani, n. petrosus minor
• otic ganglion
• corpus adiposum buccae – fat body filling the cheeks

Links

Related Articles

• Skull Spaces
• Pterygopalatine fossa
• Temporal Fossa

References

• ČIHÁK, Radomír. Anatomy 1. 3. edition. Grada, 2011. 552 pp. ISBN 978-80-247-3817-8.

• GRIM, Miloš – DRUGA, Rastislav. Fundamentals of Anatomy : 5. Anatomy of body landscapes. 1. edition. Galen, 2008. 119 pp. ISBN 978-80-7262-179-8.

• HUDÁK, Radovan – TILE, David. Memorix anatomy. 3. edition. 2016. 607 pp. ISBN 978-80-7387-959-4.