The temporal fascia is a strong sheet covering the temporalis muscle on the side of the head. It attaches above to the superior temporal line and below it splits into superficial and deep layers that attach to the two lips of the zygomatic arch, with a small pad of fat between them.
| Location | Over the temporalis muscle in the temporal fossa. |
|---|---|
| Boundaries |
|
Covers temporalis, gives origin to some of its fibres and resists the downward pull of the masseter on the zygomatic arch.
Surgeons use the temporal fascia as graft material, for example to repair the eardrum in tympanoplasty. Its layers guide the dissection planes in facial and skull surgery, protecting the frontal branch of the facial nerve, which runs superficial to it. Infections of the temporal space lie deep to this fascia.
Spread of dental or facial infection into the space deep to the temporal fascia, causing temple swelling, pain and trismus, and needing drainage.
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