The lacrimal hamulus is a small, hook-like bony projection of the
lacrimal bone
The lacrimal bone is a small and fragile bone of the facial skeleton; it is roughly the size of the little fingernail. It is situated at the front part of the medial wall of the orbit. It has two surfaces and four borders. Several bony landmarks of ...
. It is a continuation of the
posterior lacrimal crest. It articulates with the
lacrimal tubercle of the
maxilla
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. T ...
, and completes the upper orifice of the
lacrimal canaliculus. It sometimes exists as a separate piece, and is then called the lesser lacrimal bone.
Structure
The lacrimal hamulus is a small, hook-like bony projection of the
lacrimal bone
The lacrimal bone is a small and fragile bone of the facial skeleton; it is roughly the size of the little fingernail. It is situated at the front part of the medial wall of the orbit. It has two surfaces and four borders. Several bony landmarks of ...
. It is a continuation of the
posterior lacrimal crest of the lacrimal bone.
It articulates with the
lacrimal tubercle of the
maxilla
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. T ...
.
This completes the upper orifice of the
lacrimal canaliculus.
Relations
The lacrimal hamulus is usually around 9 mm from the
infraorbital foramen
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 anatomica ...
, around 20 mm from the
inferior orbital fissure
The inferior orbital fissure is formed by the sphenoid bone and the maxilla. It is located posteriorly along the boundary of the floor and lateral wall of the orbit. It transmits a number of structures, including:
* the zygomatic branch of the m ...
, and around 31 mm from the beginning of the
posterior lacrimal crest.
Variation
The lacrimal hamulus develops from its own site of
primary ossification of
cartilage. Because of this, it sometimes exists as a separate piece, and is then called the lesser lacrimal bone.
See also
*
Hamulus
A hamus or hamulus is a structure functioning as, or in the form of, hooks or hooklets.
Etymology
The terms are directly from Latin, in which ''hamus'' means "hook". The plural is ''hami''.
''Hamulus'' is the diminutive – hooklet or little h ...
References
{{Authority control
Bones of the head and neck