Lateral Pterygoid Heads — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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HardAnatomy (Head & Neck)Lateral Pterygoid HeadsMFDS Part 1

Which muscle division most accurately matches the following insertion pattern: most fibres attach at the pterygoid fovea on the condylar neck, while a small and anatomically variable component may extend to the anterior temporomandibular joint disc or capsule?

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Correct answer: D — Superior head of lateral pterygoid

The correct answer is **A, the superior head of lateral pterygoid**. Its insertion is more variable than the traditional textbook diagram suggests: current histological evidence indicates that most fibres may attach to the pterygoid fovea on the condylar neck, with only a small and inconsistent contribution to the anterior disc or capsule. The inferior head also inserts at the condylar neck but is principally associated with mandibular opening and protrusion and does not characteristically provide the stated discal component. Medial pterygoid, masseter and temporalis are muscles of mandibular elevation and do not have this combined pterygoid-foveal and TMJ disc/capsule insertion pattern. Describing the superior head simply as pulling the disc anteriorly is therefore anatomically and biomechanically misleading.

Reference: Morrison A, El-Rabbany A, Bodle B. Structural and functional basis for internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint: a histological investigation. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42236429/