The pterygomandibular raphe (pterygomandibular ligament) is a ligamentous band of the buccopharyngeal fascia. It is attached superiorly to the pterygoid hamulus of the medial pterygoid plate, and inferiorly to the posterior end of the mylohyoid line 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 ...

. 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 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 l ...

that forms from the buccopharyngeal fascia. It is a paired structure, with one on each side of the mouth. Superiorly, it is attached to the pterygoid hamulus 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 the occipital bone. The sphenoid bone is one of the seven bones that articulate to form the o ...

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

. * 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 An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of maj ...

, 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 tim ...

), 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