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Submandibular space

Submandibular space is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Submandibular space rather than just read about it. In short: The submandibular space is a fascial space of the head and neck (sometimes also termed fascial spaces or tissue spaces). It is a potential space, and is paired on either side, located on the superficial surface of the mylohyoid muscle between the anterior and posterior bellies of the digastric muscle.

Submandibular space — main illustration
Submandibular space — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Submandibular space belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Submandibular space to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Submandibular space from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The submandibular space is a fascial space of the head and neck (sometimes also termed fascial spaces or tissue spaces). It is a potential space, and is paired on either side, located on the superficial surface of the mylohyoid muscle between the anterior and posterior bellies of the digastric muscle. The space corresponds to the anatomic region termed the submandibular triangle, part of the anterior triangle of the neck.

Location and structure

Anatomic boundaries The anatomic boundaries of each submandibular space are:

the mylohyoid muscle superiorly, the skin, superficial fascia, platysma muscle and superficial layer of the deep cervical fascia inferiorly and laterally, the medial surface of the mandible anteriorly and laterally, the hyoid bone posteriorly, the anterior belly of the digastric muscle medially.

Communications The communications of the submandibular space are:

medially and anteriorly to the submental space (located medial to the paired submandibular spaces, separated from them by the anterior bellies of the digastric muscles). posteriorly and superiorly to the sublingual space (located above the mylohyoid muscle) inferiorly to the lateral pharyngeal space

Contains In health, the contents of the space are:

the submandibular gland, which largely fills the space, branches of the facial and lingual artery lymph nodes. cranial nerve XII nerve to mylohyoid muscle

Clinical relevance

Infections may spread into the submandibular space, e.g. odontogenic infections, often related to the mandibular molar teeth. This is due to the fact that the attachment of mylohyoid (the mylohyoid line) becomes more superior towards the posterior of the mandible, meaning that the roots of the posterior teeth are more likely to be below mylohyoid than above. Signs and symptoms of a submandibular space infection might include trismus (difficulty opening the mouth), inability to palpate (feel) the inferior border of the mandible and swelling of the face over the submandibular region. If the space contains pus, the usual treatment is by incision and drainage. The site of the incision is extra-oral, and usually made 2–3 cm below, and parallel to, the inferior border of the mandible. Ludwig's angina is a serious infection involving the submandibular, sublingual and submental spaces bilaterally. Ludwig's angina may extend into the pharyngeal and cervical spaces, and the swelling can compress the airway and cause dyspnoea (difficulty breathing).

References

Illustrations

Submandibular space illustration
Submandibular space illustration
Submandibular space: Diagram of medial surface of the mandible, showing the slanting attachment of mylohyoid (the mylohyoid line). This arrangement means that the apices of posterior teeth are more likely to be below the level of mylohyoid.
Diagram of medial surface of the mandible, showing the slanting attachment of mylohyoid (the mylohyoid line). This arrangement means that the apices of posterior teeth are more likely to be below the level of mylohyoid.
Submandibular space: Left submandibular space (right side shown with digastric muscle removed).
Left submandibular space (right side shown with digastric muscle removed).

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Submandibular space

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Submandibular space claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Submandibular space before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Submandibular space ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Submandibular space

In research
Submandibular space appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Submandibular space in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Submandibular space is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fascial spaces of the head and neck, Mouth, Oral and maxillofacial surgery, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Submandibular space outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Submandibular space in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Submandibular space means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Submandibular space out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Submandibular space in simple terms?

The submandibular space is a fascial space of the head and neck (sometimes also termed fascial spaces or tissue spaces). It is a potential space, and is paired on either side, located on the superficial surface of the mylohyoid muscle between the anterior and posterior bellies of the digastric musc…

Why does Submandibular space matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Submandibular space?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Submandibular space.

Tags

  • Fascial spaces of the head and neck
  • Mouth
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
  • Otorhinolaryngology

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