In human anatomy, the infraorbital foramen is one of two small holes in the
skull's upper jawbone (
maxillary bone), located below the eye socket and to the left and right of the nose. Both holes are used for blood vessels and nerves. In anatomical terms, it is located below the
infraorbital margin of the
orbit
In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as a p ...
. It transmits the
infraorbital artery
The infraorbital artery is an artery in the head that branches off the maxillary artery, emerging through the infraorbital foramen, just under the orbit of the eye.
Course
The infraorbital artery appears, from its direction, to be the continuatio ...
and
vein
Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated b ...
, and the
infraorbital nerve
The infraorbital nerve is a branch of the maxillary nerve, itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It travels through the orbit and enters the infraorbital canal to exit onto the face through the infraorbital foramen. It provides sensory ...
, a branch of the
maxillary nerve
In neuroanatomy, the maxillary nerve (V) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth (CN V) cranial nerve. It comprises the principal functions of sensation from the maxilla, nasal cavity, sinuses, the palate a ...
. It is typically from the infraorbital margin.
Structure
Forming the exterior end of the
infraorbital canal, the infraorbital foramen communicates with the
infraorbital groove
The infraorbital groove (or sulcus) is located in the middle of the posterior part of the orbital surface of the maxilla. Its function is to act as the passage of the infraorbital artery, the infraorbital vein, and the infraorbital nerve.
Stru ...
, the canal's opening on the interior side.
The ramifications of the three principal branches of the
trigeminal nerve
In neuroanatomy, the trigeminal nerve ( lit. ''triplet'' nerve), also known as the fifth cranial nerve, cranial nerve V, or simply CN V, is a cranial nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as biting and chewin ...
—at the
supraorbital
Supraorbital refers to the region immediately above the eye sockets, where in humans the eyebrows are located. It denotes several anatomical features, such as:
*Supraorbital artery
*Supraorbital foramen
*Supraorbital gland
*Supraorbital nerve
*Sup ...
, infraorbital, and
mental foramen—are distributed on a vertical line (in anterior view) passing through the middle of the
pupil. The infraorbital foramen is used as a pressure point to test the sensitivity of the infraorbital nerve. Palpation of the infraorbital foramen during an extraoral examination or an administration of a local anesthetic agent will cause soreness to the area.
[Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Fehrenbach and Herring, Elsevier, 2012, page 55]
See also
*
Foramina of the skull
This article lists foramina that occur in the human body.
__TOC__
Skull
The human skull has numerous openings (foramina), through which cranial nerves, arteries, veins, and other structures pass. These foramina vary in size and number, wit ...
Additional images
References
External links
* ()
* (closeup)
* (distance)
Upstate.edu*
Foramina of the skull
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