DISSECTION OF THE PTERYGOID REGION. 609 



Dissection. For the display of the pterygoid muscles (fig. 218), To dissect 

 it will be necessary to remove a piece of the ramus of the jaw. 

 But the greater part of the temporal muscle is to be first detached 

 from the subjacent bone with the handle of the scalpel, and the deep 

 temporal vessels and nerves are to be sought in its fibres. 



A piece of the ramus of the jaw is next to be taken away by saw through 

 sawing across the bone below the condyle, and close above the 

 dental foramen ; to protect the dental vessels and nerve in contact 

 with its inner surface while doing this, the handle of the scalpel 



FIG. 218. SUPERFICIAL VIEW OF THE PTERYGOID REGION 

 "ARTERIES"). 



1. Temporal muscle. 6, Common carotid. 



2. External pterygoid. 7. External carotid. 



3. Internal pterygoid. 8. Internal maxillary artery pass- 



4. Buccinator. ing beneath the external pterygoid. 



5. Digastric and stylo - hyoid 

 muscles, cut and thrown back. 



may be inserted between them and the bone, and carried downwards 

 to their entrance into the foramen. 



After the loose piece of bone has been removed, and the sub- take it away 

 jacent parts freed from fat, the pterygoid muscles will appear, 

 the external ( 2 ) being directed backwards and outwards to the 

 condyle, while the internal ( 3 ), which is somewhat parallel in direc- 

 tion to the masseter, descends to the angle of the jaw. In removing 

 the abundant fatty tissue, the student must be careful not to take 

 away the thin internal lateral ligament, which lies on the internal 

 pterygoid muscle beneath the ramus. 



Position of vessels. Running forwards over the external pterygoid Position of 

 muscle is the internal maxillary artery, which distributes offsets 



D.A. B E 



