Pyramidal process of palatine bone

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Pyramidal process of palatine bone
Medial wall of left orbit. (Pyramidal process of palatine labeled at bottom right.)
Left palatine bone. Posterior aspect. Enlarged. (Pyramidal process labeled at bottom left.)
Latin processus pyramidalis ossis palatini
Gray's subject #41 168
Dorlands/Elsevier p_34/12667617

The pyramidal process of the palatine bone projects backward and lateralward from the junction of the horizontal and vertical parts, and is received into the angular interval between the lower extremities of the pterygoid plates.

On its posterior surface is a smooth, grooved, triangular area, limited on either side by a rough articular furrow. The furrows articulate with the pterygoid plates, while the grooved intermediate area completes the lower part of the pterygoid fossa and gives origin to a few fibers of the Pterygoideus internus.

The anterior part of the lateral surface is rough, for articulation with the tuberosity of the maxilla; its posterior part consists of a smooth triangular area which appears, in the articulated skull, between the tuberosity of the maxilla and the lower part of the lateral pterygoid plate, and completes the lower part of the infratemporal fossa.

On the base of the pyramidal process, close to its union with the horizontal part, are the lesser palatine foramina for the transmission of the posterior and middle palatine nerves.


This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

Facial bones
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maxilla: body of maxilla: Incisive fossa | Maxillary sinus | Canine fossa | Infraorbital foramen | Anterior nasal spine | Alveolar canals | Infraorbital canal | Pterygopalatine canal
Zygomatic process | Frontal process (Agger nasi | Anterior lacrimal crest) | Alveolar process | Palatine process (Incisive foramen | Incisive canals | Foramina of Scarpa | Premaxilla | Anterior nasal spine)

lacrimal bone: Posterior lacrimal crest | Lacrimal groove

zygomatic bone: Zygomaticofacial foramen | Zygomaticotemporal foramen | Zygomaticoörbital foramina

palatine bone: Pterygopalatine fossa | Pterygoid fossa | Horizontal plate (Posterior nasal spine) | Perpendicular plate (Pterygopalatine canal | Sphenopalatine foramen | Pyramidal process)
processes (Orbital | Sphenoidal)

mandible: body (Symphysis menti, Mental foramen, Mylohyoid line) | Ramus mandibulae (Mandibular foramen, Mandibular canal, Mandibular notch)

others: nasal bone | inferior nasal conchae (maxillary process) | vomer