Anatomic study of the distance between the articular eminence and foramen spinosum and foramen spinosum and petrotympanic fissure.
OBJECTIVE
The middle meningeal artery is in close proximity to the medial aspect of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A major potential complication of surgery in the area of the TMJ is possible severance of the middle meningeal artery. An understanding of the relationship of the middle meningeal artery to easily identifiable landmarks lateral to the TMJ can help prevent the complications associated with TMJ surgery. The aim of the present study was to define the location of the middle meningeal artery by relating the distance between the easily identifiable bony landmarks of the articular eminence, petrotympanic fissure, and foramen spinosum.


METHODS
Using a cross-sectional study design, we selected dried skulls from the Hamman-Todd skeleton collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History that were older than 20 years of age at death. The primary study variables were the distances between the articular eminence and foramen spinosum and the foramen spinosum and petrotympanic fissure. To appropriately analyze the variables, stratifications of age, gender, race, and anatomic location were applied. To measure the relationship between the stratifications and distances, a multivariate analysis of variance test was performed. The statistical results were deemed significant at P < .05.


RESULTS
The sample consisted of 354 skulls or a total of 708 complexes. In analyzing the data, we noted that the only stratifications that bore any statistical significance were gender, with P < .0001, and the race-distance correlation, with a P value of .0007.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study suggest a definite difference in regard to gender on the distance between both sets of anatomic landmarks. Future studies could be tailored to further explore the effect of age on the distance, as a slight correlation was noted in our study.
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine; and Division Chief, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: dab34@case.edu.
Dale A
DA
Baur
Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, Cleveland, OH.
Max
M
Beushausen
General Practice Resident, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA.
Brian
B
Leech
Associate Professor and Residency Program Director, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
Faisal
F
Quereshy
Biostatistician, Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
Nora
N
Fitzgerald
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D059925:Anatomic Landmarks / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008576:Meningeal Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply; D012737:Sex Factors; D013100:Sphenoid Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult