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Clinical implications of the middle temporal vein with regard to temporal fossa augmentation
Wonsug Jung1, Kwan-Hyun Youn, Sung-Yoon Won
1*Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Gachon University, Inchon, Korea; †Division in Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, BK21 PLUS Project, Human Identification Center, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea; ‡Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health and Welfare, Woosong University, Daejeon, Korea; §Department of Anatomy, Department of Oral Anatomy, Dankook University College of Dentistry, Cheonan, Korea.
Background:
The middle temporal vein (MTV) traverses the temporal fossa between the superficial and deep layers of the deep temporal fascia. During filler injection into a deficient temporal fossa, filling agents may be inadvertently injected into the MTV, which results in vascular complications.
Objective:
To investigate the course of the MTV to enable safe filler injection in the temple area.
Materials And Materials:
The course and diameter of the MTV were measured in 18 hemifaces from 9 Korean cadavers.
Results:
The MTV was located 23.5 and 18.5 mm above the zygomatic arch at the jugale and the zygion, respectively. The diameter of the MTV at its thickest point was 5.1 mm. A splitting and reuniting pattern, such that the MTV occupied more space than a single trunk, was observed in 28% of cases.
Conclusion:
We propose that the safest area for filler injection in temporal fossa augmentation is one finger width above the zygomatic arch.
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