Lateral pterygoid origin and insertion

Lateral pterygoid runs from the sphenoid bone to the mandible. It has two heads: the upper head and the lower head.

What are the origin and insertion of lateral pterygoid?

Lateral pterygoid arises from the infratemporal surface of the greater wing of the sphenoid (upper head) and the outer surface of the lateral pterygoid plate (lower head). It inserts on the pterygoid fovea on the neck of the mandible’s condyle, and the jaw joint’s disc and capsule. Its main action is protrusion of the mandible. It is supplied by the nerve to lateral pterygoid (V3), from the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve. The attachments, actions and nerve follow Gray (1918).

Every attachment and its bone

Origins 2

Origins of lateral pterygoid, with the bone each is on

Attachment	Bone	Part
Infratemporal surface of the greater wing of the sphenoid	Sphenoid bone	Upper head
Outer surface of the lateral pterygoid plate	Sphenoid bone	Lower head

Insertions 2

Insertions of lateral pterygoid, with the bone each is on

Attachment	Bone	Part
Pterygoid fovea on the neck of the mandible’s condyle	Mandible	All heads
Jaw joint’s disc and capsule	None The jaw joint’s articular disc and capsule are not segmented in BodyParts3D.	Upper head

Actions

Each action is stated in the anatomical position: standing, arms by the sides, palms forward.

Innervation

The nerve to lateral pterygoid (V3), from the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve.

Sources

• Gray (1918), Myology, the muscles of mastication

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Visualiser · Biology Muscle Origin, Insertion and Action Explorer Paint a muscle’s origin and insertion on real 3D bones, or click a bone to see what attaches to it. Visualiser · Biology Head and Neck Muscles Explorer 99 head and neck muscle meshes, separable.