The pterygomandibular raphe (pterygomandibular ligament) is a ligamentous band of the

buccopharyngeal fascia The buccopharyngeal fascia is a fascia in the head and neck. Structure The buccopharyngeal runs parallel to the medial aspect of the carotid sheath. It is a thin lamina given off from the pretracheal fascia. It is attached to the prevertebral ...

. It is attached superiorly to the

pterygoid hamulus The pterygoid hamulus is a hook-like process at the lower extremity of the medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone of the skull. It is the superior origin of the pterygomandibular raphe, and the levator veli palatini muscle. Structure The ...

of the

medial pterygoid plate The pterygoid processes of the sphenoid (from Greek ''pteryx'', ''pterygos'', "wing"), one on either side, descend perpendicularly from the regions where the body and the greater wings of the sphenoid bone unite. Each process consists of a me ...

, and inferiorly to the posterior end of the

mylohyoid line The mylohyoid line is a bony ridge on the internal surface of the mandible. It runs posterosuperiorly. It is the site of origin of the mylohyoid muscle, the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, and the pterygomandibular raphe. Structure The ...

of the

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower tooth, teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movabl ...

. It connects the

buccinator muscle The buccinator () is a thin quadrilateral muscle occupying the interval between the maxilla and the mandible at the side of the face. It forms the anterior part of the cheek or the lateral wall of the oral cavity.Illustrated Anatomy of the Head ...

in front to the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle behind.

Structure

The pterygomandibular

raphe Raphe (; from Greek ῥαφή, "seam"Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie.'' Oxford: Clarendon Press.) has several diffe ...

is a

ligament A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the: * Peritoneal li ...

that forms from the

. It is a paired structure, with one on each side of the mouth. Superiorly, it is attached to the

of the medial pterygoid plate of the

sphenoid bone The sphenoid bone is an unpaired bone of the neurocranium. It is situated in the middle of the skull towards the front, in front of the basilar part of occipital bone, basilar part of the occipital bone. The sphenoid bone is one of the seven bones ...

. Inferiorly, it is attached to the posterior end of the

of the

. * Its ''medial surface'' is covered by the mucous membrane of the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

. * Its ''lateral surface'' is separated from the

ramus of the mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

by a quantity of

adipose tissue Adipose tissue, body fat, or simply fat is a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes. In addition to adipocytes, adipose tissue contains the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of cells including preadipocytes, fibroblasts, vascular e ...

. * Its ''posterior border'' gives attachment to the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle. * Its ''anterior border'' attaches to the posterior edge of the

Variation

In foetuses, the pterygomandibular raphe is always very prominent. However, in adults, it may become less distinctive. It is very large and distinctive in around 36% adults. It is fairly small, and only an upper triangular portion visible, in around 36% of adults. It is not visible in around 28%, making the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle and the

continuous. This may vary by

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

Function

The pterygomandibular raphe is the common meeting point of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle and the

. It holds them together, forming part of the

Clinical significance

When the

is splinted for gradual realignment (such as to treat

sleep apnea Sleep apnea, also spelled sleep apnoea, is a sleep disorder in which pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep occur more often than normal. Each pause can last for a few seconds to a few minutes and they happen many times ...

), the pterygomandibular ligament slightly resists the realignment.

History

The pterygomandibular ligament was first noted in 1784.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Human head and neck

Structure

Variation

Function

Clinical significance

History

See also

References

External links