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The mandible (from Latin mandibula, "jawbone") or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw
Jaw

The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to the mouth.The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of most animals....
 and holds the lower teeth
Tooth

Teeth are small whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to tear, scrape, and chew food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or defense....
 in place. It also refers to both the upper and lower sections of the beak
Beak

The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which, in addition to eating, is used for Personal grooming#In animals, manipulating objects, killing prey, probing for food, Courtship#Courtship in the animal kingdom and feeding their young....
s of bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
s.

mandible consists of:


lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m1137424",this)' onMouseout='hide("m1137424")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Inferior_alveolar_nerve">Inferior alveolar nerve
Inferior alveolar nerve

The inferior alveolar nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve ....
, branch of the mandibular division of Trigeminal (V) nerve, enters the mandibular foramen and runs forward in the mandibular canal, supplying sensation to the teeth.






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The mandible (from Latin mandibula, "jawbone") or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw
Jaw

The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to the mouth.The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of most animals....
 and holds the lower teeth
Tooth

Teeth are small whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to tear, scrape, and chew food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or defense....
 in place. It also refers to both the upper and lower sections of the beak
Beak

The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which, in addition to eating, is used for Personal grooming#In animals, manipulating objects, killing prey, probing for food, Courtship#Courtship in the animal kingdom and feeding their young....
s of bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
s.

Components

The mandible consists of:
  • a curved, horizontal portion, the body. (See body of mandible
    Body of mandible

    The body of the mandible is curved somewhat like a horseshoe and has two surfaces and two borders....
    ).
  • two perpendicular portions, the rami, which unite with the ends of the body nearly at right angles. (See ramus mandibulae
    Ramus mandibulae

    The ramus of the mandible is quadrilateral in shape, and has two surfaces, four borders, and two processes....
    )
  • Alveolar process, the tooth bearing area of the mandible (upper part of the body of the mandible)
  • Condyle, superior (upper) and posterior projection from the ramus, which makes the temporomandibular joint
    Temporomandibular joint

    The temporomandibular joint is the joint of the jaw and is frequently referred to as TMJ. There are two TMJs, one on either side, working in unison....
     with the temporal bone
    Temporal bone

    The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull.The temporal bone supports that part of the face known as the temple ....
  • Coronoid process, superior and anterior projection from the ramus. This provides attachment to the temporalis muscle
    Temporalis muscle

    The temporalis muscle is one of the Mastication#Muscles of mastication....


Foramina (singular=foramen)

  • Mandibular foramen, paired, in the inner (medial) aspect of the mandible, superior to the mandibular angle in the middle of the ramus.
  • Mental foramen, paired, lateral to the mental protuberance on the body of mandible.


Nerves

Inferior alveolar nerve
Inferior alveolar nerve

The inferior alveolar nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve ....
, branch of the mandibular division of Trigeminal (V) nerve, enters the mandibular foramen and runs forward in the mandibular canal, supplying sensation to the teeth. At the mental foramen the nerve divides into two terminal branches: incisive and mental nerves. The incisive nerve runs forward in the mandible and supplies the anterior teeth. The mental nerve exits the mental foramen and supplies sensation to the lower lip.

Articulations

The mandible articulates with the two temporal bone
Temporal bone

The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull.The temporal bone supports that part of the face known as the temple ....
s at the temporomandibular joint
Temporomandibular joint

The temporomandibular joint is the joint of the jaw and is frequently referred to as TMJ. There are two TMJs, one on either side, working in unison....
s

Pathologies

One fifth of facial
Face

The term face refers to the central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head and can depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, tooth, skin, and chin....
 injuries
Injury

Injury or bodily injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or Purpose of the body caused by an outside wiktionary:agent or force, which may be physical or chemical....
 involve mandibular fracture
Fracture

A fracture is the separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress .The word fracture is often applied to bones of living creatures, or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal....
. Mandibular fractures are often accompanied by a 'twin fracture' on the contralateral (opposite) side.

Aetiology

  • Motor vehicle accident (MVA) - 40%
  • Assault - 40%
  • Fall - 10%
  • Sport - 5%
  • Other - 5%


Location

  • Condyle - 30%
  • Angle - 25%
  • Body - 25%
  • Symphesis - 15%
  • Ramus - 3%
  • Coronoid process - 2%


The mandible may be dislocated anteriorly (to the front) and inferiorly (downwards) but very rarely posteriorly (backwards).

See also

  • Bone terminology
    Bone

    Bones are rigid organ that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell and white blood cells and store minerals....
  • Terms for anatomical location
  • Changes produced in the mandible by age
    Changes produced in the mandible by age

    At birth [Fig. 7] the body of the bone is a mere shell, containing the sockets of the two incisor, the canine, and the two deciduous molar teeth, imperfectly partitioned off from one another....
  • Ossification of the mandible
    Ossification of the mandible

    The mandible is ossified in the fibrous membrane covering the outer surfaces of Meckel's cartilages.These cartilages form the cartilaginous bar of the mandibular arch , and are two in number, a right and a left....
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
    Oral and maxillofacial surgery

    Oral and maxillofacial surgery is surgery to correct a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region....


Additional images


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