Temporalis
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Original Editor - Carina Therese Magtibay
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Description[edit | edit source]
The temporalis muscle is one of the four primary muscles of mastication (chewing of food). It is a fan-shaped muscle with anterior fibres that have a vertical orientation, mid fibres have an oblique orientation, and posterior fibres have a more of horizontal orientation. [1]
Origin[edit | edit source]
Temporal bone, specifically the floor of the temporal fossa
Insertion[edit | edit source]
Coronoid process of the mandible
Nerve[edit | edit source]
- Central part: deep temporal nerves of the mandibular nerve
- Anterior part: branches of the buccal nerve
- Posterior part: branches of the masseteric nerve
Artery[edit | edit source]
Maxillary artery which is a branch of the external carotid artery.
Function[edit | edit source]
- Anterior fibres: Elevates mandible
- Posterior fibres: Retracts the mandible
Clinical relevance[edit | edit source]
Masticatory muscle disorders to take note of:[1]
- Myofascial pain and dysfunction. Most common etiologies myofascial pain and dysfunction of masticatory muscles:
- Nocturnal bruxism
- Habitual clenching of the mouth
- Whiplash injuries during a trauma
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction
- It can be caused by an imbalance of forces within the muscles of mastication.
- Nocturnal bruxism is a common cause of TMJ dysfunction.
- Trismus aka Muscle spasm of the muscles of mastication
- It can be a symptom of tumor or infection. An infection like tetanus may present with "lockjaw" or trismus.
- Other infections or inflammation of the muscles may present as:
- myositis
- pain during the movement of the jaw.
Temporalis muscle is used for:[2]
- Direct temporalis tendon injections
- As a landmark for inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia, third molar extraction, and determining posterior denture flange
- Temporalis tendon transfers in plastic surgery
Assessment[edit | edit source]
Treatment[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Basit H, Tariq MA, Siccardi MA. Anatomy, head and neck, mastication muscles.
- ↑ Yu SK, Kim TH, Yang KY, Bae CJ, Kim HJ. Morphology of the temporalis muscle focusing on the tendinous attachment onto the coronoid process. Anatomy & Cell Biology. 2021 Sep 1;54(3):308-14.