Question

Your​ 15-year-old patient was playing baseball today and was struck in the face by a baseball bat. As you assess his injuries and manage spinal​ immobilization, you note that several of his teeth are broken and he seems to have deformity and pain isolated to his lower jaw. The lower jaw bone is also known as​ the:

A. mandible.
B. maxillae.
C. orbit.
D. manubrium.

Answer 1

The lower jaw bone referred to in the patient's injury is the mandible, which is the only moveable bone of the skull, distinct from the maxillae bones of the upper jaw.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lower jaw bone is known as the mandible. It forms the lower jaw and is the only moveable bone of the skull. Initially, it consists of right and left bones in infants that fuse to form a single U-shaped mandible during the first year of life. The mandible's structure includes a horizontal body and a vertically oriented ramus. The angle of the mandible is where the body and ramus intersect. On the other hand, the maxillae are a pair of bones that form the upper jaw and other facial structures but are not moveable like the mandible. Given the description of the patient's symptoms, it is the mandible that is affected by the injury.