Muscles of Mastication

By
Gaurav Ketkar
Nirmitee Gujarathi
Sharvari Vichare
Manasi Kenjale

Movements
Depression of mandible

Elevation of manible

Protraction of mandible

Retraction of mandible

Side to side movement

The chief muscles of mastication

Masseter muscle
Temporalis muscle
Medial pterygoid muscle
Lateral pterygoid muscle

Masseter muscle
Thick, somewhat
quadrilateral muscle
It has two heads:
superficial and deep

Deep part
Superficial
part

The superficial portion of Masseter

The largest of the two heads
Origin: It arises by a thick, tendinous
aponeurosis from the zygomatic process of the
maxilla, and from the anterior two-thirds of the
lower border of the zygomatic arch.
Insertion: Its fibers pass downward and
backward, to be inserted into the angle and
lower half of the lateral surface of the ramus of
the mandible.

The deep portion of Masseter muscle

Much smaller, but more muscular in texture
Origin: it arises from the posterior third of the lower border
and from the whole of the medial surface of the zygomatic
arch.
Insertion: its fibers pass downward and forward, to be inserted
into the upper half of the ramus

Action:
elevates and protrudes the mandible thus closing the mouth;
deep fibers retrudes it.

 Innervation:
Mandibular division
of trigeminal nerve
through masseteric
nerve which passes
through ? To enter
its deep surface.
Blood supply:
masseteric artery
from maxillary
artery

Temporalis muscle
is a broad, radiating muscle,
situated at the side of the head.
Origin: It arises from the whole
of the temporal fossa and the
deep surface of temporal fascia
Insertion: Its fibers converge as
they descend, and end in a
tendon, which passes deep to
the zygomatic arch and is
inserted into the medial surface,
apex, and anterior border of the
coronoid process, and the ant.
Border of mandibular ramus

 Action:
its anterior and middle
fibers elevate the
mandible thus closing the
mouth; its posterior fibers
retrudes it.
Innervation: Deep temporal
branches of mandibular
nerve.

Lateral pterygoid muscle

Has two heads: superior and
inferior
Origin: the superior head
arises from greater wing of
sphenoid bone while the
inferior head arises from the
lateral surface of the lateral
pterygoid plate
Insertion: fibers pass
backward to be inserted into
the neck of mandible and
articular disc of TMJ.

 Innervation:
Ant. division of
mandibular nerve
through lateral
pterygoid nerve
Blood supply: maxillary
artery through the
pterygoid branch.

 Action:
acting together they protrude
and depress the mandible;
acting alone and alternatively
they produce side to side
movements of the mandible.
(rotates the mandible to
the opposite side)

Medial pterygoid muscle

It has two heads: superficial
and deep
Origin: the superficial head
arises from the maxillary
tuberosity. The deep head
arises from medial surface of
the lateral pterygoid plate

Insertion: fibers run downward,

backward and laterally and are
inserted into the medial surface
of the angle of the mandible

 Innervation:
main trunk of mandibular
nerve through nerve to
medial pterygoid

Blood supply:
Maxillary artery through
the medial pterygoid
artery

 Action:
assets in elevating and
protrusion of the mandible
acts together with lat.
Pterygoid of the same side
in rotating the mandible

Side to side movement

It is done by alternate contraction and
relaxation of medial and lateral
.pterygoids of opposite side

Applied Aspect
Any dammage to branch of mandibular never
supplying muscles of mastication may lead
.to paralysis of these muscles