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The angle of the mandible (gonial angle) is located at the
posterior border at the junction of the lower border of 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 ...
.
The angle of the mandible, which may be either inverted or everted, is marked by rough, oblique ridges on each side, for the attachment of the
masseter
In human anatomy, the masseter is one of the muscles of mastication. Found only in mammals, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter. The most obvious muscle of mastication is the masseter muscle, since it ...
laterally, and the
pterygoideus internus
The medial pterygoid muscle (or internal pterygoid muscle), is a thick, quadrilateral muscle of the face. It is supplied by the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve (V). It is important in mastication (chewing).
Structure
The medial pter ...
(
medial pterygoid muscle
The medial pterygoid muscle (or internal pterygoid muscle), is a thick, quadrilateral muscle of the face. It is supplied by the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve (V). It is important in mastication (chewing).
Structure
The medial ptery ...
) medially; the
stylomandibular ligament is attached to the angle between these muscles.
The forensic term for the midpoint of the mandibular angle is the gonion. The gonion is a
cephalometric landmark located at the lowest, posterior, and lateral point on the angle.
This site is at the apex of the maximum curvature of the mandible, where the ascending ramus becomes the body of the mandible.
The mandibular angle has been named as a forensic tool for gender determination, but some studies have called into question whether there is any significant
sex difference in humans in the angle.
See also
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Ohngren's line In head and neck cancer, Ohngren's line is a line that connects the medial canthus of the eye to the angle of the mandible.
The line defines a plane orthogonal to a sagittal plane that divides the maxillary sinus
The pyramid-shaped maxillary ...
Additional images
Image:Mandibular angle - animation.gif, Position of angle of the mandible (shown in red). Animation.
File:Mandibular angle - close-up - animation.gif, 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 ...
bone. Position of angle shown in red.
File:Gray176 mandibular angle.png, Mandible. Outer surface. Side view. (Angle labeled at bottom right.)
File:Gray177 mandibular angle.png, Mandible. Inner surface. Side view. (Angle visible at bottom left.)
Image:Gray383.png, The Pterygoidei; the zygomatic arch and a portion of the ramus of the mandible have been removed.
File:Slide5oooo.JPG, Mandible. Inner surface. Angle of mandible labeled at bottom right.
References
External links
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* - "Oral Cavity: Bones"
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Bones of the head and neck
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