In human anatomy, the infraorbital foramen is one of two small holes in the skull's upper jawbone (

maxillary bone The maxilla (plural: ''maxillae'' ) in vertebrates is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The tw ...

), 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 The infraorbital margin is the lower margin of the eye socket. Structure It consists of the zygomatic bone and the maxilla, on which it separates the anterior and the orbital surface of the body of the maxilla. Function It is an attachment for ...

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 canal is a canal found at the base of the orbit that opens on to the maxilla. It is continuous with the infraorbital groove and opens onto the maxilla at the infraorbital foramen. The infraorbital nerve and infraorbital arte ...

, 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. St ...

, 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, infraorbital, and

mental foramen The mental foramen is one of two foramina (openings) located on the anterior surface of the mandible. It is part of the mandibular canal. It transmits the terminal branches of the inferior alveolar nerve and the mental vessels. Structure The m ...

—are distributed on a vertical line (in anterior view) passing through the middle of the

pupil The pupil is a black hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to strike the retina.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. (1990) ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company. It appears black ...

. 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

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References

External links

* () * (closeup) * (distance)
Upstate.edu
* Foramina of the skull {{musculoskeletal-stub

Structure

See also

Additional images

References

External links