Evanisi Teresa Palomari; Luís Ronaldo Picosse; Mayta P. Tobo; Ricardo Noboro Isayama & Marcelo Rodrigues da Cunha

The muscle designated by a group of authors as the sphenomandibular or, according to recent studies, the deep bundle of the temporal muscle, presents important anatomical relationships, especially in a medical-odontological context. In view of this divergence, the aim of the present study was to observe the morphology by means of dissection of the formaldehyde-preserved heads, using two different techniques to access the muscle region in question, designated as trans-zygomatic and frontal access routes. The results permitted, by observation of the dissections frontally, the presence of fascicles standing apart from the deep bundle muscle venter, which was named intermediary bundle. This bundle presented two portions, a meaty upper portion and a tendinous lower portion, which continues with the tendinous part of the superficial bundle present on the internal surface of the coronoid process. In view of the material observations, it can be concluded that, due to the total absence of muscular fascia between its bundles, the temporal muscle is a unique entity presenting three bundles – the deep, the intermediate and the superficial.

KEY WORDS: Sphenomandibular muscle; Dissection; Deep bundle of the temporal muscle.

PALOMARI, E. T.; PICOSSE, L. R.; TOBO, M. P.; ISAYAMA, N. R. & DA CUNHA, M. R. Sphenomandibular muscle or deep bundle of temporal muscle?. Int. J. Morphol., 31(4):1158-1161, 2013.