[Anatomy of muscles acting on the temporomandibular joint]

By means of craniometry, 300 skulls of mature persons have been studied, as well as the muscles affecting the temporomandibular joint (m. masseter, m. temporalis, m. pterygoideus medialis et lateralis, anterior venter of m. digastricus, m. mylohyoideus, m. geniohyoideus, m. genioglossus) have been studied in 170 preparations of the mature persons' corpses by the method of preparation. It has been stated that the bony parts to which the muscles in question are fixed have various size, form and are in different topographic relation at various forms of the skull. Therefore, the size, form and position of the muscles affecting the temporomandibular joint are characterized by different indices in brachicephals and in dolichocephals. Fatty tissue spaces, limited by the muscles and cranial bones mentioned above, have corresponding different length and communications.