Mandibular bone

Mandibular Bone

The Mandibular bone or mandible is the largest and strongest bone of the human face. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone of the skull (not counting the ossicles of the middle ear).

Structure

The mandible consists of a horizontal body and two perpendicular portions known as the rami. The body is curved, forming the chin, and has two surfaces and two borders. The rami, on the other hand, are quadrilateral in shape and have two surfaces, four borders, and two processes.

Body

The body of the mandible is curved, somewhat like a horseshoe, and has two surfaces and two borders. The external surface is marked in the midline by a faint ridge, indicating the symphysis menti, or line of junction of the two pieces of which the bone is composed at an early period of life.

Ramus

The ramus of the human mandible has four sides, two surfaces, four borders, and two processes. On the inside, at the center of the nearly vertical posterior border, is a shallow groove from which the mylohyoid nerve runs obliquely downward and forward.

Function

The mandible plays a vital role in many common tasks, including chewing, speech, and facial expression.

Clinical significance

Diseases of the mandible include fracture of the mandible, osteomyelitis, and cancer of the jaw. Treatment may involve surgery, antibiotics, or other interventions.

See also

• Maxilla
• Bone
• Human skull
• Jaw

References

Mandibular bone Resources
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