The Temporal Fossa

Overview

The temporal fossa is a depression on the temporal region and one of the largest landmarks on the skull. The temporal bone, the sphenoid bone, the parietal bone and the frontal bone contribute to its concave wall. It is superior to the infratemporal fossa which lies beneath the zygomatic arch.

Borders

Both superiorly and posteriorly the temporal fossa is bordered by the superior temporal line (origin of the deep temporal fascia). The inferior border runs along the zygomatic arch. Lastly, the anterior border is marked by the frontal process of the zygoma and the zygomatic process of the frontal bone.

Temporal fossa - lateral-left view

Contents

Muscles

The temporal fossa serves as a site of origin for the temporal muscle. It originates from the superior, anterior and posterior borders of the temporal fossa and resides within its concavity as the muscle fibers move towards their insertion point, which lies under the zygomatic arch.

Temporal muscle - lateral-left view

Blood Vessels

The superior temporal artery, a terminal branch of the external carotid artery, courses above the superficial temporal fascia. It branches off the medial temporal artery to the temporal muscle and two smaller arteries to the scalp (frontal and parietal branches).

Superficial temporal artery - lateral-left view

The artery is accompanied by the superior temporal vein. The medial vein runs between the two layers of the temporal fascia.

Nerves

The fossa contains four branches from four different nerve bundles. The terminal branches include:

• a branch of the mandibular nerve (V3)
• the anterior and posterior branches of the deep temporal nerve

Temporal branches of facial nerve - lateral-left view

• the auriculotemporal nerve
• the temporal branches of the facial nerve.