Arterial Vascularization of the Mandibular Condyle and Fractures of the Condyle

Arterial Vascularization of the Mandibular Condyle and Fractures of the Condyle: No abstract availableThis communication refers to the article entitled “Arterial Vascularization of the Mandibular Condyle and Fractures of the Condyle,” published recently in the Journal.1 Toure dissected 42 temporomandibular joints from latex-injected cadavers and found that the intraosseous branches of the inferior alveolar artery to the condyle were inconstant and often rudimentary. They found that the superficial temporal artery, the deep posterior temporal artery, and arterial branches leading to the lateral pterygoid muscle emanating directly from the maxillary artery consistently led to the condyle.



Most of the figures show the arteries to the temporomandibular joint surrounding the condyle. Figure 12 shows the interior of the condyle, but I could not find any arterial branch entering the bony condyle as shown in the schemas (Figs. 14 and 15).1



According to previous articles that they did not cite, in the cranial part of the mandible (zone III, including the condyle), the endosteal blood supply prevailed, whereas the periosteal blood supply predominated in the caudal part of the mandible (zone I, the body). In macerated human head, Saka et al. found that the condyle was vascularized mainly by endosteal vessels derived from the periosteal and muscular layers. The part of the collum and caput mandibulae below the capsule was supplied both ways, endosteally and periosteally, by the same vessel.2



In dry mandibles, I could not find any small foramen for the arteries as shown in Figures14 and 15. Moreover, in a plastic-filled arterial specimen, I also could not find any artery entering the bony condyle (Fig. 1). Therefore, it would be helpful if Toure could provide photographs showing the arteries going into the bony condyle.



Fig. 1

Fig. 1

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study was supported by a grant from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2017R1A2B4005787).



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DISCLOSURE

The author has no conflict of interest to declare.



Kun Hwang, M.D., Ph.D.



Department of Plastic Surgery



Inha University School of Medicine



27 Inhang-ro, Jung-gu



Incheon 22332, Republic of Korea



jokerhg@inha.ac.kr



Facebook: pskunhwang



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REFERENCES

1. Toure G. Arterial vascularization of the mandibular condyle and fractures of the condyle. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2018;141:718e–725e.

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2. Saka B, Wree A, Anders L, Gundlach KK. Experimental and comparative study of the blood supply to the mandibular cortex in Göttingen minipigs and in man. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2002;30:219–225.

Cited Here...

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