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 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 ...

, the

infraorbital vein The infraorbital vein is a vein that drains structures of the floor of the orbit. It arises on the face and passes backwards through the orbit alongside infraorbital artery and nerve, exiting the orbit through the inferior orbital fissure to drain i ...

, 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 ...

Structure

The infraorbital groove begins at the middle of the posterior border of the maxilla (with which it is continuous). This is near the upper edge of the infratemporal surface of the maxilla. It passes forward, and ends in a canal which subdivides into two branches. The infraorbital groove has an average length of 16.7 mm, with a small amount of variation between people. It is similar in men and women.

Function

The infraorbital groove creates space that allows for passage of the

, the

, and the

Clinical significance

The infraorbital groove is an important surgical landmark for

local anaesthesia Local anesthesia is any technique to induce the absence of sensation in a specific part of the body, generally for the aim of inducing local analgesia, that is, local insensitivity to pain, although other local senses may be affected as well. It ...

of the

Additional images

File:Gray191.png, Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities. (Note distinction between infraorbital groove and inferior orbital fissure.)

References

External links