Lateral craniofacial anatomy

Abstract

The following chapter is a brief overview of the lateral craniofacial anatomy that will be relevant to subsequent clinically related chapters. It starts with an overview of the bone and soft tissue to put the anatomy in context followed by a more detailed description of the zygomatic-maxillary region, temporal region, and mandibular region. Within each region the basics of the boney anatomy are described followed by a closer look at the important soft tissue structures such as the facial vessels, facial nerve, parotid gland, lymph nodes, and the temporomandibular joint. The musculature associated with each region, in particular the temporal and mandibular regions, is described with respect to the underlying bone, relationship to the other soft tissues, and actions on the joint.