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Do you like to eat? If you said ‘YES’ then be sure to check out this lesson on the lateral pterygoid muscle, which is one of the muscles of the skull that allows you to eat your favorite foods.
What is the Lateral Pterygoid Muscle?
Think about the last great meal you ate, and all the amazing flavors that filled your mouth as you chewed. Now be sure to thank your lateral pterygoid muscle, a muscle that allowed this experience to happen.
The lateral pterygoid muscle (sometimes called the external pterygoid muscle) is one of the muscles of mastication, which is a fancy way of saying chewing. It is a small, thick muscle located at side of the skull, just below the temples.
The lateral pterygoid is a small, thick muscle located on each side of the skull that assists with mastication.
lateral pterygoid muscle
What Does the Lateral Pterygoid Do?
There are several functions of the lateral pterygoid muscle, which include:
Protrusion of the lower jaw (moving the lower jaw forward)
Depression the lower jaw (lowering the lower jaw, which helps to open the mouth)
Unilateral movement of the lower jaw (moving the jaw side-to-side).
By opening the jaw and moving the lower jaw forward and side-to-side, the lateral pterygoid muscle helps a person to chew and grind food with their teeth. This is the reason why the lateral pterygoid muscle is considered a muscle of mastication.
Origin & Insertion of the Lateral Pterygoid
The lateral pterygoid muscle has two heads, the superior head and inferior head. Each of these heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle has its own point of origin. The following chart describes the point of origin for each head of this muscle.
Head of Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Point of Origin
Superior Head Originates from the great wing of the sphenoid bone. The sphenoid bone is a small bone located on each side of the skull, right where the temples are located. The great wing of the sphenoid is a bony prominence that sticks out from the sphenoid bone.
Inferior Head Originates from the outer surface of the lateral pterygoid plate. The lateral pterygoid plate is a hook-shaped prominence at the bottom of the sphenoid bone.
Both the superior and inferior heads originate from points on the sphenoid bone, which are located on each side of the skull.
sphenoid bone
From these two locations, each head of the lateral pterygoid muscle travels horizontally towards the back of the skull and then inserts (attaches) to different locations in the jaw, which are described in the following chart.
Head of Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Point of Insertion
Superior Head Inserts on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is the joint formed on each side of the skull where the mandible (lower jaw) attaches to the skull.
Inferior Head Inserts on the condyloid process of the mandible, which is a bony prominence located at the back of each side of the lower jaw.
The lateral pterygoid muscle inserts on the temporomandibular joint and the condyloid process.
skull
 
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