Sphenomandibular ligament

Looks like

A thin flat band on the inner side of the jaw joint, from a spine on the skull base down to a small tongue of bone by the jaw's nerve opening.

What it does

A passive support and swing point for the jaw; it does little active work. It is a remnant of the embryonic first-arch cartilage.

Keeping it well

Mainly a landmark: dentists pass near it when numbing the lower teeth (inferior alveolar nerve block).

Related conditions

• Achondroplasia
• Brain abscess
• Gout
• Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
• Lyme disease
• Marfan syndrome & connective tissue disorders
• Osteoarthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatic fever & rheumatic heart disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Temporomandibular joint disorder
• Traumatic brain injury (moderate to severe)