INBDE (Integrated National Board Dental Examination) Practice Exam

Where does the Buccinator attach posteriorly?

1. Modiolus

2. Buccal shelf

3. External oblique ridge

4. Pterygomandibular raphe

The correct answer is: Pterygomandibular raphe

The pterygomandibular raphe is a muscular sling that runs from the pterygoid hamulus of the sphenoid bone to the mandible, and serves as an attachment point for the buccinator muscle. Option A, the modiolus, is a point of convergence of muscles at the corner of the mouth and is not posterior to the buccinator. Option B, the buccal shelf, is a bony shelf located along the buccal surface of the mandible and does not attach to the buccinator muscle. Option C, the external oblique ridge, is a bony ridge on the outer surface of the mandible and is not a point of attachment for the buccinator muscle. Therefore, the correct answer is D.