Description
The masticatory muscles are involved in the movement of the temporomandibular joints, which facilitates the process of mastication (i.e., chewing). The masticatory muscles consist of the:
- masseter muscle;
- temporalis muscle;
- lateral pterygoid muscle;
- medial pterygoid muscle.
The masticatory muscles arise from the first pharyngeal arch, and, therefore, are innervated by the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V3).
