Abstract
There is no general agreement on the morphology of the sphenomandibular ligament because the insertion sites are altered with growth. The pupose of this study was to investigate the morphology at the origin of the ligament in adult cadavers.
The specimens of the adult sphenomadibular ligament were classified into 3 types according to the morphology at the origin: type I, origin limited to the sphenoidal spine; type II, origin extending from the sphenoidal spine to the petrotympanic fissure; and type III, origin extending from the sphenoidal spine to the connective tissue in the posterior area of the articular disk through the petrotympanic fissure.
Type I was found in 20.4% of the examined adult specimens, type II was found in 34.7%, and type III was found in 44.9%. The ligament of the type III was directly attached to the articular disk from posteromedially. In the type III ligaments of the morphology at the origin appeared to posteromedially control articular disk movements associated with movements.
