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Glossary

Condylar neck

The narrow isthmus of bone connecting the mandibular condyle to the ramus. Often the weakest area of the mandible, and subject to fractures when a strong blow to the chin is sustained (#6 in Figure 1).

Lower jaw (mandible) anatomy includes coronoid process, ramus, angle, condylar neck

Figure 1: Important bony landmarks of the face are shown. "1" is the maxilla (upper jaw); "2" is the mental foramen, where the mental nerve exits the mandible and goes into the lip, providing it with sensation. If the teeth are lost, bone commonly dissolves away (resorbs) to a point where the mental foramen sits atop the bony ridge. Biting pressure in that location can produce severe pain, numbness or tingling in the mental nerve for a denture wearer.

"3" is the inferior border of the mandible "body". "4" is the coronoid process, an attachment point for the temporalis muscle, a jaw closing muscle. "5" is the zygomatic arch, a common fracture point in trauma to the side of the face, and location of the masseter muscle origin (another jaw closing muscle). "6" is the neck of the condyle, a common fracture point in trauma to the chin. "7" is the ramus of the mandible. The arrowhead is located where the parotid gland would be on a living patient (one of three main glands which secrete saliva into the mouth). "8"is the angle of the mandible, another common fracture point, especially if an impacted wisdom tooth is present inside the jaw. The angle is also where the masseter muscle inserts.