The sphenopalatine foramen is a

foramen In anatomy and osteology, a foramen (;Entry "foramen"
in

nasal cavity The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nasal c ...

with the

pterygopalatine fossa In human anatomy, the pterygopalatine fossa (sphenopalatine fossa) is a fossa in the skull. A human skull contains two pterygopalatine fossae—one on the left side, and another on the right side. Each fossa is a cone-shaped paired depression deep ...

Structure

The processes of the superior border of the

palatine bone In anatomy, the palatine bones () are two irregular bones of the facial skeleton in many animal species, located above the uvula in the throat. Together with the maxillae, they comprise the hard palate. (''Palate'' is derived from the Latin ''pa ...

are separated by the ''sphenopalatine notch'', which is converted into the sphenopalatine foramen by the under surface of the body of the sphenoid. In the articulated skull this

foramen In anatomy and osteology, a foramen (;Entry "foramen"
in

leads from the

into the posterior part of the

superior meatus In anatomy, the term nasal meatus can refer to any of the three meatuses (passages) through the skulls nasal cavity: the superior meatus (''meatus nasi superior''), middle meatus (''meatus nasi medius''), and inferior meatus (''meatus nasi inferio ...

of the nose, and transmits the

sphenopalatine artery The sphenopalatine artery (nasopalatine artery) is an artery of the head, commonly known as the artery of epistaxis. Course The sphenopalatine artery is a branch of the maxillary artery which passes through the sphenopalatine foramen into the cavi ...

and vein and the

posterior superior lateral nasal nerve Posterior may refer to: * Posterior (anatomy), the end of an organism opposite to its head ** Buttocks, as a euphemism * Posterior horn (disambiguation) * Posterior probability, the conditional probability that is assigned when the relevant evidenc ...

and

nasopalatine nerve The nasopalatine nerve (long sphenopalatine nerve) is a nerve of the head. It is a branch of the pterygopalatine ganglion, a continuation from the maxillary nerve (V2). It supplies parts of the palate and nasal septum. Structure The nasopalati ...

Additional images

File:Gray167.png, Articulation of left palatine bone with maxilla. File:Gray168.png, Left palatine bone. Nasal aspect. Enlarged.

References

External links

* () (#10) * Foramina of the skull {{musculoskeletal-stub