mandibular

Mandibular refers to the mandible, the lower jawbone of mammals, which forms the framework of the lower face and supports the lower dentition. The mandible is a U-shaped bone with a horizontal body (the corpus) and two perpendicular rami that ascend to the skull. The body bears the alveolar process for the lower teeth and the mental foramen, through which the mental nerve exits.

Each ramus ends superiorly in the mandibular condyle, which articulates with the temporal bone to form the temporomandibular joint, and anteriorly in the coronoid process. The mandibular notch separates these processes. The mandibular canal runs within the body and transmits the inferior alveolar nerve and vessels, with the nerve exiting at the mental foramen as the mental nerve. The major muscles of mastication—masseter, temporalis, medial, and lateral pterygoids—attach to the mandible and enable chewing movements.

Developmentally, the mandible forms largely through intramembranous ossification, with Meckel’s cartilage contributing to early mandible formation in development. Growth continues at the condyle, allowing changes in size and shape during childhood and adolescence.

Clinically, mandible-related considerations include fractures from trauma, dental anesthesia (notably the inferior alveolar nerve block), and disorders such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction, malocclusion, osteomyelitis, and neoplasms. Imaging techniques such as panoramic radiography and computed tomography aid in assessment of mandibular structure and pathology.