Relation of glenoid fossa morphology to mandibulofacial asymmetry, studied in dry human Lapp skulls.

Asymmetry in the shape and location of the temporomandibular joint and its associations with mandibulofacial asymmetry were studied in 40 Lapp skulls by a method in which the configuration of the fossa is clearly defined. The results show a general directional temporomandibular asymmetry. The glenoid fossa on the right was on average more laterally and distally placed than on the left when studied in the axial view. The mandible was more often longer on the left than on the right in the frontal view. The temporomandibular asymmetry found here was associated with skull base characteristics and left-right differences in mandibular length. The basic reason for the asymmetric relationships may lie in the reciprocal interaction between the developmental aspects of the skull base and impaired directional function.