COMPARISON OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING AND GROSS FINDINGS REGARDINGMASSETER MUSCLE APONEUROSES IN CADAVERS

Objectives. The main objective of this study was to compare the actual distribution and thickness of aponeuroses in cadavers with the distri bution and thickness as determined by means of magnetic resonance imag ing for the sake of evaluating magnetic resonance imaging as a diagnos tic modality for assessing masseter muscle aponeuroses. Study design. The aponeuroses of 26 masseter muscles from 13 intact cadavers were ex amined by magnetic resonance imaging. Results. The ratio of concordanc e between gross findings and magnetic resonance imaging findings was 9 9.0%, although depiction of thin parts of he aponeuroses on magnetic r esonance imaging was poor. Conclusions. Magnetic resonance imaging was useful as a diagnostic modality in the assessment of masseter muscle aponeuroses. Aponeuroses were distributed throughout almost the entire masseter muscle, although almost no aponeuroses were seen below the l ower half of the anterior margin. This was thought to be a characteris tic finding of masseter aponeuroses.