Anatomical variability of the lateral pterygoid plate and its influence on the dimensions of infratemporal fossa in human skulls

This is Dr. Femina Sam, working as an anatomist at the Human Anatomy Unit, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. I am interested in scholarship and research activities in gross anatomy, clinical anatomy, and histology. I love to work with the students and guide them in their projects. This research focuses on the types of skulls that can obstruct the surgical corridor in the infratemporal fossa. The findings of this research highlight that the lateral pterygoid plate significantly affects the dimensions of the infratemporal fossa. Since the lateral and removed types of the lateral pterygoid plate are found in nearly half of the individuals, clinicians should be aware of these variations when accessing the foramen ovale during trigeminal neuralgia interventions.