Lateral pterygoid plate
Lamina lateralis processus pterygoidei
- Synonym: Lateral plate of pterygoid process
- Related terms: Lateral plate; Pterygoid process (Lateral plate); Lateral plate - Pterygoid process; Lateral plate (Pterygoid process)
Definition
The lateral pterygoid plate, one of two bony extensions, protrudes backwards from the sphenoid bone’s pterygoid process, with its counterpart being the medial pterygoid plate. At the front, the lateral pterygoid plate joins with the medial pterygoid plate, forming a continuous anterior surface. In contrast, at the back, the lateral pterygoid plate is separated from the medial pterygoid plate by means of a V-shaped gap known as the pterygoid fossa. This lateral pterygoid plate also constitutes the inner, or medial, wall of the infratemporal fossa.
The lateral pterygoid plate serves as a key attachment point for the muscles of mastication. Specifically, its outer surface is where the inferior head of the lateral pterygoid muscle originates, while the inner surface offers the point of origin for the deep head of the medial pterygoid muscle.
References
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Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2024 IMAIOS.
Standring, S. (2016). ‘Chapter 27: External skull’ in Gray’s anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. (41st ed.) New York NY: Elsevier, pp. 422.
