The temporal fossa is a
fossa
Fossa may refer to:
Animals
* Fossa (animal), the common name of a carnivoran mammal of genus ''Cryptoprocta'' endemic to Madagascar
* ''Fossa'', the Latin genus name of the Malagasy civet, a related but smaller mammal endemic to Madagascar
Pla ...
(shallow depression) on the side of the
skull
The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, t ...
bounded by the
temporal lines
The parietal bones () are two bones in the Human skull, skull which, when joined at a fibrous joint, form the sides and roof of the Human skull, cranium. In humans, each bone is roughly quadrilateral in form, and has two surfaces, four borders, an ...
and terminating below the level of the
zygomatic arch
In anatomy, the zygomatic arch, or cheek bone, is a part of the skull formed by the zygomatic process of the temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the skull, over the opening of the ear) and the temporal process of the zygom ...
.
Boundaries
* Medial:
frontal bone
The frontal bone is a bone in the human skull. The bone consists of two portions.'' Gray's Anatomy'' (1918) These are the vertically oriented squamous part, and the horizontally oriented orbital part, making up the bony part of the forehead, pa ...
,
parietal bone,
temporal bone
The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull, and lateral to the temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex.
The temporal bones are overlaid by the sides of the head known as the temples, and house the structures of the ears ...
, and
sphenoid bone.
* Lateral: Temporal fascia
* Anterior: Posterior surface of the frontal process of the zygomatic bone and the posterior surface of the zygomatic process of the frontal bone.
* Superior: Pair of temporal lines (superior and inferior temporal lines) that arch across the skull from the zygomatic process of the frontal bone to the supramastoid crest of the temporal bone
* Inferior:
Zygomatic arch
In anatomy, the zygomatic arch, or cheek bone, is a part of the skull formed by the zygomatic process of the temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the skull, over the opening of the ear) and the temporal process of the zygom ...
laterally and by the infratemporal crest of the greater wing of the sphenoid medially.
Temporal & Infratemporal Fossa
* Osteology
* Temporal fossa, boundaries & contents
*
Infratemporal fossa, boundaries & contents
*
Muscles of mastication
*
Maxillary artery
*
Pterygoid venous plexus
*
Mandibular nerve
*
Temporomandibular Joint
Contents
*
Temporalis muscle
*
Deep temporal arteries
*
Deep temporal nerves
*
Superficial temporal artery (from
external carotid)
*
Zygomaticotemporal nerve
Clinical significance
The
pterion
The pterion is the region where the frontal, parietal, temporal, and sphenoid bones join. It is located on the side of the skull, just behind the temple.
Structure
The pterion is located in the temporal fossa, approximately 2.6 cm b ...
is located in the temporal fossa, Clinically the pterion is an important area because it overlies the anterior division of the middle meningeal artery and vein. Trauma in this region can lead to an extradural haematoma, which can result in herniation of brain tissue and ischemia.
Additional images
File:Temporal fossa.jpg, Temporal fossa
External links
Skull
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