[Application of a new vascular injection technique in the study of the infratemporal region]

The infra-temporal region (ITR) is an anatomically rich region thanks to its arterial and venous divisions and large nerve crossroads. It is also, as described by Robert et al". in a publication about the ITR, (22) "the hidden face of the manductory apparatus. The ITR is therefore a passageway for a large number of anatomical elements and its complexity makes it a particularly delicate region for daily surgical practice. For these many reasons the anatomical study of the ITR, which has already been the origin of a number of works, seemed interesting to us, and more particularly combined with the use of an original injection material, Odongel. The injection of this material, in the arterial as well as the venous system, enabled us to improve our dissections thanks to its flexibility, elasticity, its case-of-use and its speed of preparation. The complexity and richness of the region meant that in order to study it anatomically we had to focus on a specific anatomical element for each dissection session, especially at the beginning. After having used traditional products such as resins (methyl methacrylate), latex and even the too rigid silicon elastomers, Odongel seemed interesting to us because it is very easier to use it. The purpose of this study was to prove that Odongel is an efficient material, working equally well for both the arterial and venous systems irrespective of the diameter of the vessels concerned. It can become an alternative to the other injection products in some situations. Finally, in the case of the ITR, an extension of the existing techniques used in anatomical studies coupled with an increase in anatomical precision could improve our knowledge of this zone and eventually facilitate certain surgical interventions.