Abstract
The lateral pterygoid muscle has been generally described as a muscle composed of two separate heads, however, the border between these heads has not clearly identified. In the present study, we investigated the positional relationships between the muscle and the surrounding nerves, and examined the muscle bundle arrangements to determine the detailed information of the origins and insertions. We used 94 specimens of 52 Japanese cadavers (29 males and 25 females) for the investigations of the nerve courses, and randomly chose and used 10 specimens of 5 (2 males and 3 females) cadavers from above-mentioned 52 cadavers for the detailed examinations of the muscle fiber constructions. In some specimens, the buccal nerve passed through the gap in the muscle, however, in many cases the nerve pierced the muscle. The muscle inserted into the medial half of the anterior surface and the medial surface of the condylar process. Only a thin superficial layer of the muscle fibers was attached to the inferior surface of the articular disc. According to the positions of the origins and insertions of the muscle and the positional relationships to the nerves, the muscle was not clearly divided into heads. The detailed findings of the origins and insertions of the present study suggest that the muscle is a single muscle with no clear border, containing fibers of various directions. A two-head muscle pattern would be indicated by the differences of the convergences of the muscle fibers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akita K, Shimokawa T, Sato T (2000) Positional relationships between the masticatory muscles and their innervating nerves with special reference to the lateral pterygoid and the midmedial and discotemporal muscle bundles of temporalis. J Anat 197:291–302
Akita K, Shimokawa T, Sato T (2003) An anatomic study of the positional relationships between the lateral pterygoid muscle and its surrounding nerves. Eur J Anat 7(Suppl.1):5–14
Auf der Mur HJ (1980) Electromyographic recordings of the lateral pterygoid muscle in activator treatments of Class II, Division 1, malocclusion cases. Eur J Orthod 2:441–449
Clemente CD (1985) Gray’s anatomy, 30th edn. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, pp 447–450, 1164–1167, 1210
Foucart JM, Girin JP, Carpentier P (1998) Innervation of the human lateral pterygoid muscle. Surg Radiol Anat 20:185–189
Gibbs CH, Mahan PE, Wilkinson TM, Mauderli A (1984) EMG activity of the superior belly of the lateral pterygoid muscle in relation to other jaw muscles. J Prosthet Dent 61:691–702
Grant PG (1973) Lateral pterygoid: two muscles? Am J Anat 138:1–10
Honee GL (1972) The anatomy of the lateral pterygoid muscle. Acta Morphol Neerl Scand 10:331–340
Juniper RP (1983) EMG of the two heads of external pterygoid muscle via the intra-oral route. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 23:21–33
Kim HJ, Kwak HH, Hu KS, Park HD, Kang HC, Jung HS, Koh KS (2003) Topographic anatomy of the mandibular nerve branches distributed on the two heads of the lateral pterygoid. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 32:408–413
Kwak HH, Ko SJ, Jung HS, Park HD, Chung IH, Kim HJ (2003) Topographic anatomy of the deep temporal nerves, with references to the superior head of lateral pterygoid. Surg Radiol Anat 25:393–399
Lehr RP, Owens SE (1980) An electromyographic study of the human lateral pterygoid muscles. Anat Rec 196:441–448
Lipke DP, Gay T, Gross BD, Yaeger JA (1977) An EMG study on the human lateral pterygoid muscle. J Dent Res 56:230
MacNamara JA (1973) The independent functions of the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle. Am J Anat 138:197–204
Mahan PE, Wilkinson TM, Gibbs CH, Mauderli A, Brannon LS (1983) Superior and inferior bellies of the lateral pterygoid muscle EMG activity at basic jaw positions. J Prosthet Dent 50:710–718
Murray GM, Bhutada M, Peck CC, Phanachet I, Sae-Lee D, Whittle T (2007) The human lateral pterygoid muscle. Arch Oral Biol 52:377–380
Paturet G (1964) Traité d’ anatomie humaine. Tome 4, Masson, Paris, pp 759–773
Phanachet I, Whittle T, Wanigaratne K, Klineberg IJ, Sessle BJ, Murray GM (2003) Functional heterogeneity in the superior head of the human lateral pterygoid. J Dent Res 82:106–111
Pinto OF (1962) A new structure related to the temporomandibular joint and middle ear. J Prosth Dent 12:95–103
Porter MR (1970) The attachment of the lateral pterygoid muscle to the meniscus. J Prosth Dent 24:555–562
Rauber A (1903) Lehrbuch der Anatomie des Menschen. Georg Thime, Leipzig, pp 526–531
Rees LA (1954) The structure and function of the mandibular joint. Br Dent J 96:125–133
Rouvière H, Delmas A (1974) Anatomie humaine. 2nd edn. Tome 1, Masson, Paris, pp 265–271
Sakamoto Y, Akita K (2004) Spatial relationships between masticatory muscles and their innervating nerves in man with special reference to the medial pterygoid muscle and its accessory muscle bundle. Surg Radiol Anat 26:122–127
Schumacher GH, Lau H, Freund E, Schultz M, Himstedt HW, Menning A (1976) Zur Topographie der muskulären Nervenausbreitungen. 9 Kaumuskeln. M. pterygoideus medialis und lateralis verschiedener Kautypen vertreter. Anat Anz 139:71–87
Shimokawa T, Akita K, Soma K, Sato T (1998) Innervation analysis of the small muscle bundles attached to the temporalis muscle: truly new muscles or merely derivatives of the temporalis muscle? Surg Radiol Anat 20:329–334
Sicher H, DuBrul EL (1970) Oral anatomy, 5th edn. Mosby, St. Louis, pp 120–126
Sugisaki M, Komori E, Nakazawa M, Tanabe H (1986) Anatomical studies of the lateral pterygoid muscle by the superior approach and a review of the literature. Jpn J Oral Maxillofacial Surg 32:718–730
Troiano MF (1967) New concept of the insertion of the lateral pterygoid muscle. J Oral Surg 25:337–340
Widmalm SE, Lillie JG, Ash MM Jr (1987) Anatomical and EMG studies of the lateral pterygoid muscle. J Oral Rehabil 14:429–446
Wilkinson TM (1988) The relationship between the disk and the lateral pterygoid muscle in the human temporomandibular joint. J Prosthet Dent 60:715–724
Williams PL, Warwick R (1980) Gray’s anatomy, 36th edn. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, pp 534–535
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Usui, A., Akita, K. & Yamaguchi, K. An anatomic study of the divisions of the lateral pterygoid muscle based on the findings of the origins and insertions. Surg Radiol Anat 30, 327–333 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-008-0329-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-008-0329-2