Orbital process of palatine bone

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Bone: Orbital process of palatine bone
Left palatine bone. Nasal aspect. Enlarged.
Left palatine bone. Posterior aspect. Enlarged.
Latin	processus orbitalis
Gray's	subject #41 168

The orbital process of the palatine bone is placed on a higher level than the sphenoidal, and is directed upward and lateralward from the front of the vertical part, to which it is connected by a constricted neck. It presents five surfaces, which enclose an air cell. Of these surfaces, three are articular and two non-articular.

The articular surfaces are:

1. the anterior or maxillary, directed forward, lateralward, and downward, of an oblong form, and rough for articulation with the maxilla
2. the posterior or sphenoidal, directed backward, upward, and medialward; it presents the opening of the air cell, which usually communicates with the sphenoidal sinus; the margins of the opening are serrated for articulation with the sphenoidal concha
3. the medial or ethmoidal, directed forward, articulates with the labyrinth of the ethmoid.

In some cases the air cell opens on this surface of the bone and then communicates with the posterior ethmoidal cells. More rarely it opens on both surfaces, and then communicates with the posterior ethmoidal cells and the sphenoidal sinus.

The non-articular surfaces are:

1. the superior or orbital, directed upward and lateralward; it is triangular in shape, and forms the back part of the floor of the orbit; and
2. the lateral, of an oblong form, directed toward the pterygopalatine fossa; it is separated from the orbital surface by a rounded border, which enters into the formation of the inferior orbital fissure.

[edit] Additional images

The seven bones which articulate to form the orbit.

Articulation of left palatine bone with maxilla.

Medial wall of left orbit.

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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.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.

v • d • e Bones of head and neck: the facial bones of the skull Maxilla Surfaces Anterior: fossae (Incisive fossa, Canine fossa) - Infraorbital foramen - Anterior nasal spine Infratemporal: Alveolar canals - Maxillary tuberosity Orbital: Infraorbital groove - Infraorbital canal Nasal: Pterygopalatine canal Processes Zygomatic process Frontal process (Agger nasi, Anterior lacrimal crest) Alveolar process Palatine process (Incisive foramen, Incisive canals, Foramina of Scarpa, Incisive bone, Anterior nasal spine) Other Body of maxilla - Maxillary sinus Zygomatic Orbital process (Zygomatico-orbital) - Temporal process (Zygomaticotemporal) - Lateral process (Zygomaticofacial) Palatine Fossae Pterygopalatine fossa - Pterygoid fossa Plates Horizontal plate (Posterior nasal spine) - Perpendicular plate (Pterygopalatine canal, Sphenopalatine foramen, Pyramidal process) Processes Orbital - Sphenoidal Mandible Body external surface (Symphysis menti, Mental protuberance, Mental foramen) - internal surface (Mental spine, Mylohyoid line, Sublingual fovea, Submandibular fovea) - Alveolar part of mandible Ramus Mylohyoid groove (Mandibular canal, Lingula) - Mandibular foramen - Angle Coronoid process - Mandibular notch - Condyloid process Minor/ nose Nasal bone: Internasal suture - Nasal foramina Inferior nasal concha: Ethmoidal process - Maxillary process Vomer: Wing Lacrimal: Posterior lacrimal crest - Lacrimal groove - Lacrimal hamulus