The Articular Capsule

• The capsule of this joint is loose.
• The thin fibrous capsule is attached to the margins of the articular area on the temporal bone and around the neck of the mandible.

Sternum

o    Forms the medial part of the anterior chest wall
o    Manubrium (upper part)-clavicle and first rib articulate with the manubrium .
o    Body (middle blade)-second and tenth ribs articulate with the body via the costal cartilages
o    Xiphoid (blunt cartilaginous tip)

Ribs (12 pairs)

o    Each rib articulates with both the body and the transverse process of its corresponding
o    thoracic vertebra
o    The second to ninth ribs articulate with the body of the vertebra above'
o    Ribs curve outward, forward, and then downward
o    Anteriorly, each of the first seven ribs joins a costal cartilage that attaches to the sternum
o    Next three ribs (eighth to tenth) join the cartilage of the rib above
o    Eleventh and twelfth ribs do not attach to the sternum; are called "floating ribs"

The Orbital Margin

• The frontal, maxillary and zygomatic bones contribute equally to the formation of the orbital margin.

• The supraorbital margin is composed entirely of the frontal bone.
• At the junction of its medial and middle thirds is the supraorbital foramen (sometimes a notch), which transmits the supraorbital nerves and vessels.

• The lateral orbital margin is formed almost entirely of the frontal process of the zygomatic bone.

• The infraorbital margin is formed by the zygomatic bone laterally and the maxilla medially.

• The medial orbital margin is formed superiorly by the frontal bone and inferiorly by the lacrimal crest of the frontal process of the maxilla.
• This margin is distinct in its inferior half only.

The Auditory Ossicles

The Malleus

• Its superior part, the head, lies in the epitympanic recess.
• The head articulates with the incus.

• The neck, lies against the flaccid part of the tympanic membrane.
• The chorda tympani nerve crosses the medial surface of the neck of the malleus.

• The handle of the malleus (L. hammer) is embedded in the tympanic membrane and moves with it.
• The tendon of the tensor tympani muscle inserts into the handle.

The Incus

• Its large body lies in the epitympanic recess where it articulates with the head of the malleus.
• The long process of the incus (L. an anvil) articulates with the stapes.
• The short process is connected by a ligament to the posterior wall of the tympanic cavity.

The Stapes

• The base (footplate) of the stapes (L. a stirrup), the smallest ossicle, fits into the fenestra vestibuli or oval window on the medial wall of the tympanic cavity.

Functions of the Auditory Ossicles

• The auditory ossicles increase the force but decrease the amplitude of the vibrations transmitted from the tympanic membrane.

Intrinsic muscles

    all innervated by recurrent laryngeal nerve except cricothyroid: external laryngeal nerve
    adductors of vocal folds: bring folds together at midline

    Transverse and oblique arytenoids: pull arytenoids together
    Lateral cricoartenoids: spin and slide arytenoids up
    only one abductor of vocal folds
    
    Posterior cricoarytenoids—down and up
    adjustors of shape and tension of vocal folds

    Cricothyroid muscle
    
o    superficial to lateral cricoarytenoid
o    tenses vocal folds by tilting thyroid cartilage forward and sliding forward

    Thyroartenoid and vocalis muscles
    
o    vocalis: sometimes treated as medial most fibers of thyroartenoid muscle
o    different fiber directions
    
    lateral: adduct
    medial: change shape of folds
    control voice by bring bringing together different parts of folds

o    as move from epithelium to vocalis muscle, fold becomes stiffer
o    near connections, vocal folds are stiffer
o    vocal fold: complex, multilayered vibrator

• Bones begin to form during the eighth week of embryomic life in the fibrous membranes (intramembranous ossification) and hyaline cartilage (endochondral ossification)