Gross anatomy of the mandibular joint and masticatory muscles in the domestic pig (Sus scrofa).

The mandibular joint (MJ) and masticatory muscles in 15 domestic pigs, aged 1 year, were investigated during and after dissection. The joint consisted of a fossa, disc and condyle surrounded by a ligamentous capsule. The fossa was almost flat, slightly convex antero-posteriorly and concave medio-laterally; the disc was biconcave and the condyle oval. The long axis of the condyles formed an anteriorly orientated angle to the frontal plane. The masticatory muscles were similar to human ones except for the pig zygomatico-mandibular muscle. The resemblance between the anatomy of the porcine and human joint and masticatory muscles makes the pig a useful animal for functional studies of the masticatory system.