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Encyclopedia > Greater wing of sphenoid bone
Bone: Greater wing of sphenoid bone
Figure 1: Sphenoid bone, upper surface.
Figure 2: Sphenoid bone, anterior and inferior surfaces.
Latin alæ magnæ
Gray's subject #35 149

The greater wing of the sphenoid bone, or ali-sphenoid, is a bony process of the sphenoid bone; there is one on each side, extending from the side of the body of the sphenoid and curving upward, laterally, and backwards. Figure 1 : Sphenoid bone, upper surface. ... Figure 1 : Sphenoid bone, upper surface. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Figure 1 : Sphenoid bone, upper surface. ...

Contents

Structure

The greater wings of the sphenoid are two strong processes of bone, which arise from the sides of the body, and are curved upward, lateralward, and backward; the posterior part of each projects as a triangular process which fits into the angle between the squamous and the petrous part of the temporal bone and presents at its apex a downwardly directed process, the spine of sphenoid bone. The temporal bones (os temporales) are situated at the sides and base of the skull. ...


Cerebral surface

The superior or cerebral surface of each greater wing [Fig. 1] forms part of the middle cranial fossa; it is deeply concave, and presents depressions for the convolutions of the temporal lobe of the brain. It has a number of foramina (holes) in it: The temporal lobes are part of the cerebrum. ...

At th anterior and medial part of the Sphenoid is a circular aperture, the foramen rotundum, for the transmission of the maxillary nerve. ... The Maxillary nerve is one of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve, one of the cranial nerves. ... At the base of the skull the foramen ovale is a hole that transmits the mandibular nerve, the otic ganglion, the accessory meningeal artery, emissary veins (from the cavernous sinus to the pterygoid plexus) and the lesser superficial petrosal nerve. ... The mandibular nerve is the third branch (V3) of the trigeminal nerve. ... The middle meningeal artery is typically the first branch of the first part (retromandibular part) of the maxillary artery; one of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery. ... In the pterygoid processes of the sphenoid, above the pterygoid fossa is a small, oval, shallow depression, the scaphoid fossa, which gives origin to the Tensor veli palatini. ... The foramen spinosum is the foramen in the skull that permits the passage of the middle meningeal artery. ... The mandibular nerve is the third branch (V3) of the trigeminal nerve. ...

Lateral surface

The lateral surface [Fig. 2] is convex, and divided by a transverse ridge, the infratemporal crest, into two portions.

  • The superior temporal surface, convex from above downward, concave from before backward, forms a part of the temporal fossa, and gives attachment to the temporalis;
  • the inferior infratemporal surface, smaller in size and concave, enters into the formation of the infratemporal fossa, and, together with the infratemporal crest, serves as an attachment to the lateral pterygoid muscle.

It is pierced by the foramen ovale and foramen spinosum, and at its posterior part is the sphenoidal spine, which is frequently grooved on its medial surface for the chorda tympani nerve. The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The temporalis muscle is one of the muscles of mastication. ... The infratemporal fossa is an irregularly shaped cavity, situated below and medial to the zygomatic arch. ... The lateral pterygoid is a muscle of mastication with two heads. ... Two structures in the human body are called foramen ovale, meaning circular hole. ... The foramen spinosum is the foramen in the skull that permits the passage of the middle meningeal artery. ... The chorda tympani are nerves of special sensation given off the facial nerve (VII) inside the skull. ...


To the sphenoidal spine are attached the sphenomandibular ligament and the tensor veli palatini muscle. The sphenomandibular ligament (internal lateral ligament) is a flat, thin band which is attached above to the spina angularis of the sphenoid bone, and, becoming broader as it descends, is fixed to the lingula of the mandibular foramen. ... The Tensor veli palatini muscle (or Tensor palati) is a muscle of the human body. ...


Medial to the anterior extremity of the infratemporal crest is a triangular process which serves to increase the attachment of the lateral pterygoid muscle; extending downward and medialward from this process on to the front part of the lateral pterygoid plate is a ridge which forms the anterior limit of the infratemporal surface, and, in the articulated skull, the posterior boundary of the pterygomaxillary fissure. The lateral pterygoid is a muscle of mastication with two heads. ... The pterygomaxillary fissure is vertical, and descends at right angles from the medial end of the inferior orbital fissure; it is a triangular interval, formed by the divergence of the maxilla from the pterygoid process of the sphenoid. ...


Orbital surface

The orbital surface of the great wing [Fig. 2], smooth, and quadrilateral in shape, is directed forward and medially and forms the posterior part of the lateral wall of the orbit.

  • Its upper serrated edge articulates with the orbital plate of the frontal bone.
  • Its inferior rounded border forms the postero-lateral boundary of the inferior orbital fissure.
  • Its medial sharp margin forms the lower boundary of the superior orbital fissure and has projecting from about its center a little tubercle which gives attachment to the inferior head of the lateral rectus muscle; at the upper part of this margin is a notch for the transmission of a recurrent branch of the lacrimal artery.
  • Its lateral margin is serrated and articulates with the zygomatic bone.
  • Below the medial end of the superior orbital fissure is a grooved surface, which forms the posterior wall of the pterygopalatine fossa, and is pierced by the foramen rotundum.

The frontal bone (os frontale, TA: A02. ... The lateral wall and the floor of the orbit are separated posteriorly by the inferior orbital fissure which transmits the maxillary nerve and its zygomatic branch, the infraorbital vessels, and the ascending branches from the sphenopalatine ganglion. ... 1 Foramen ethmoidale, 2 Canalis opticus, 3 Fissura orbitalis superior, 4 Fossa sacci lacrimalis, 5 Sulcus infraorbitalis, 6 Fissura orbitalis inferior, 7 Foramen infraorbitale The superior orbital fissure is a foramen in the skull, although strictly it is more of a cleft, lying between the lesser and greater wings of... For the muscle of the neck, see Rectus capitis lateralis muscle The lateral rectus muscle is a muscle in the orbit. ... The Lacrimal Artery arises close to the optic foramen, and is one of the largest branches derived from the ophthalmic: not infrequently it is given off before the artery enters the orbit. ... The zygomatic bone (malar bone) is a paired bone of the human skull. ... In the skull, the pterygopalatine fossa is the space between the lateral pterygoid plate (which is part of the sphenoid bone), and the palate. ... At th anterior and medial part of the Sphenoid is a circular aperture, the foramen rotundum, for the transmission of the maxillary nerve. ...

Margin

Commencing from behind [Fig. 2], that portion of the circumference of the great wing which extends from the body to the spine is irregular.

  • Its medial half forms the anterior boundary of the foramen lacerum, and presents the posterior aperture of the pterygoid canal for the passage of the corresponding nerve and artery.
  • Its lateral half articulates, by means of a synchondrosis, with the petrous portion of the temporal, and between the two bones on the under surface of the skull, is a furrow, the sulcus of the auditory tube, for the lodgement of the cartilaginous part of the auditory tube.

In front of the spine the circumference presents a concave, serrated edge, bevelled at the expense of the inner table below, and of the outer table above, for articulation with the squamous part of the temporal bone. The foramen lacerum (Latin for lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of the skull located at the base of the medial pterygoid plate. ... The pterygoid canal (also vidian canal) is a passage in the skull leading from just anterior to the foramen lacerum in the middle cranial fossa to the pterygopalatine fossa. ... Anatomy of the human ear. ... The temporal bones (os temporales) are situated at the sides and base of the skull. ...


At the tip of the great wing is a triangular portion, bevelled at the expense of the internal surface, for articulation with the sphenoidal angle of the parietal bone; this region is named the pterion. The parietal bones (os parietale) are bones in the human skull and form, by their union, the sides and roof of the cranium. ... The point corresponding with the posterior end of the sphenoparietal suture is named the pterion; it is situated about 3 cm. ...


Medial to this is a triangular, serrated surface, for articulation with the frontal bone; this surface is continuous medially with the sharp edge that forms the lower boundary of the superior orbital fissure, and laterally with the serrated margin for articulation with the zygomatic bone. The frontal bone (os frontale, TA: A02. ... 1 Foramen ethmoidale, 2 Canalis opticus, 3 Fissura orbitalis superior, 4 Fossa sacci lacrimalis, 5 Sulcus infraorbitalis, 6 Fissura orbitalis inferior, 7 Foramen infraorbitale The superior orbital fissure is a foramen in the skull, although strictly it is more of a cleft, lying between the lesser and greater wings of... The zygomatic bone (malar bone) is a paired bone of the human skull. ...


Additional images

Reference

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. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... An illustration from the 1918 edition Henry Grays Anatomy of the Human Body, commonly known as Grays Anatomy after Henry Gray, is an anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on human anatomy. ...



 
 

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