Osteology of the Skull - Pterygopalatine Fossa

deep continuation of the infratemporal fossa

The entrance is a

anterior: infratemporal surface of posterior maxilla

posterior: pterygoid processes of sphenoid bone (pharyngeal canal, foramen rotundum, pterygoid canal)

medial: perpendicular plate of palatine bone (forming sphenopalatine foramen once it abuts the maxilla)

lateral: pterygomaxillary fissure

superior: inferior surface of sphenoid (inferior orbital fissure)

inferior: palatine bone (palatine canal)

Boundaries of the pterygopalatine fossa

Anterior: no holes

Posterior: pharyngeal artery and nerve, nerve and artery of pterygoid canal, maxillary division of CN V (V2)

Medial: posterior superior nasal nerve, sphenopalatine artery and nasopalatine nerve

Lateral: maxillary artery goes into the pterygopalatine fossa

Superior: infraorbital artery, infraorbital nerve, zygomatic nerve

Inferior: lesser palatine nerve, greater and lesser palatine arteries from descending palatine artery

- Pterygopalatine ganglion is in the middle

Pathways of the pterygopalatine fossa

descending palatine artery splits into

greater and lesser palatine arteries

- orbit

- nasal cavity

- oral cavity

- cranial cavity

The pterygopalatine fossa communicates with the

auditory tube/sphenoid sinus

Artery of pterygoid canal supplies

- hard palate gingiva

- mucosa

- palatal glands

- soft palate

- palatine tonsils

Descending palatine artery supplies

- auditory tube

- nasopharynx

Pharyngeal artery supplies

nasal cavity

Sphenopalatine artery supplies

- extraocular muscles

- maxillary teeth

- face from lower eyelid to upper lip

Infraorbital artery supplies

- maxillary sinus

- maxillary molars

posterior superior alveolar nerves supply

auditory tube/sphenoid sinus

nerve of pterygoid canal supplies

sensory from nasopharynx

Pharyngeal nerve supplies

sensation from hard (greater) and soft (lesser) palate, distal to canines

greater and lesser palatine nerves supply

sensation from palatal gingiva and mucosa from central incisors to canines

nasopalatine nerve supplies

maxillary premolars to central incisors and associated gingiva and mucosa, face from lower eyelid to upper lip

infraorbital nerve supplies

collection of autonomic neuron cells bodies

pterygopalatine ganglion supplies