Infratemporal Fossa Fasciae: Anatomical and Clinical-Surgical Study.

The lack of thoroughness that characterizes the anatomical description of pterygo-temporo-mandibular and interpterygoid fasciae is indisputable; this shortcoming is not only found in classical but also in contemporary bibliography. Likewise, these are not contemplated in International Anatomical Terminology. This paper aims to provide a detailed description of the aforementioned fasciae and the ligaments that depend of them, thus as the bony bridges. Similarly, a correlation among these anatomical structures and trigeminal neuralgia will be developed, placing particular emphasis on its role as the possible etiological agents. In the process of performing this task, skulls (n=200), cadavers without previous fixing (n=10) and cadavers fixed in a 5% aqueous formaldehyde solution (n=20) were used. Following a standardized procedure, using appropriate instrumental and magnifying devices, the dissections were performed. It should be stressed that both, conventional and unconventional approaches, were executed. During each stage of this research pertinent photographic recording was taken. The distinctive anatomical characteristics of these fasciae have been precisely exhibited, detailing its shapes, limits, insertions and relations within infratemporal fossa. A meticulous description of pterygoalar and pterygospinosous ligament was attained and its relations with the colateral branches of mandibular nerve bear special highlighting. Indeed, the role played by these ligaments in the constitution of bony bridges surrounding the oval foramen was widely analyzed. After profound reflexion on the obtained results, a thorough description of pterygo-temporo-mandibular and interpterygoid fasciae and its ligaments was achieved allowing to drawing a parallel between its disposition in the infratemporal fossa and its possible ossification and the compression the nervous branches might undergo so that a trigeminal neuralgia befalls.