Lateral pterygoid muscle : anatomical and neurophysiological basis - ROS - 2007 - Tome 36 - N°1

Based on its positional relationships, the lateral pterygoid muscle is strongly involved during mastication. It plays a major role in the craniomandibular disorders genesis and maintenance. Embryological, histological and anatomical information has defined the lateral pterygoid muscle as a single muscle with a penniform structure.
Various results of electromyographic studies describe a complex physiology with a chronological contraction of different muscle bundles during masticatory movements. Contraction of the lateral pterygoid muscle bundles in a sequential pattern would be the resultant of a selective neuronal activation induced by the masticatory Central Pattern Generator (mCPG). This neurophysiological hypothesis highlights the essential role of the reticular formation in the control of masticatory muscles activity.