atlanto-axial: anterior atlantoaxial ligament - posterior atlantoaxial ligament - transverse ligament of the atlas A joint (from French joint) (articulation) is the location at which two bones make contact (articulate). ... A ligament is a short band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen fibres. ... Head and neck anatomy is a specialized study of the human body quite frequently studied in depth by surgeons, dentist, and dental technicians. ... The Atlanto-axial joint (articulation of the atlas with the axis) is of a complicated nature, comprising no fewer than four distinct joints. ... The anterior atlantoaxial ligament is a strong membrane, fixed, above, to the lower border of the anterior arch of the atlas; below, to the front of the body of the axis. ...

atlanto-occipital: anterior atlantoöccipital membrane - posterior atlantoöccipital membrane - tectorial membrane - alar ligament - ligament of apex dentis The Atlanto-occipital joint (articulation between the atlas and the occipital bone) consists of a pair of condyloid joints. ... The anterior atlantoöccipital membrane (anterior atlantoöccipital ligament) is broad and composed of densely woven fibers, which pass between the anterior margin of the foramen magnum above, and the upper border of the anterior arch of the atlas below. ... The posterior atlantoöccipital membrane (posterior atlantoöccipital ligament), broad but thin, is connected above, to the posterior margin of the foramen magnum; below, to the upper border of the posterior arch of the atlas. ... The alar ligaments connect the sides of the dens (on the axis, or the second cervical vertebra) to tubercles on the medial side of the occipital condyle. ...

temporomandibular: temporomandibular ligament - sphenomandibular ligament - stylomandibular ligament The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a diarthrosis joint that connects the mandible (lower jaw) to the temporal bone at the side of a skull. ... The temporomandibular ligament (external lateral ligament) consists of two short, narrow fasciculi, one in front of the other, attached, above, to the lateral surface of the zygomatic arch and to the tubercle on its lower border; below, to the lateral surface and posterior border of the neck of the mandible. ... The sphenomandibular ligament (internal lateral ligament) is a flat, thin band which is attached above to the spina angularis of the sphenoid bone, and, becoming broader as it descends, is fixed to the lingula of the mandibular foramen. ... The stylomandibular ligament is a specialized band of the cervical fascia, which extends from near the apex of the styloid process of the temporal bone to the angle and posterior border of the ramus of the mandible, between the Masseter and Pterygoideus internus. ...