At the lower part of the infratemporal surface 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 ...

is a rounded eminence, the maxillary tuberosity, especially prominent after the growth of the

wisdom tooth A third molar, commonly called wisdom tooth, is one of the three molars per quadrant of the human dentition. It is the most posterior of the three. The age at which wisdom teeth come through ( erupt) is variable, but this generally occurs betw ...

; it is rough on its lateral side for articulation with the

pyramidal process of the palatine bone The pyramidal process of the palatine bone projects backward and lateralward from the junction of the horizontal and vertical parts, and is received into the angular interval between the lower extremities of the pterygoid plates. On its posterior ...

and in some cases articulates with the

lateral pterygoid plate The pterygoid processes of the sphenoid (from Greek ''pteryx'', ''pterygos'', "wing"), one on either side, descend perpendicularly from the regions where the body and the greater wings of the sphenoid bone unite. Each process consists of a me ...

of the sphenoid. It gives origin to a few fibers of the

medial pterygoid muscle The medial pterygoid muscle (or internal pterygoid muscle), is a thick, quadrilateral muscle of the face. It is supplied by the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve (V). It is important in mastication (chewing). Structure The medial ptery ...

References

External links

* - "Osteology of the Skull: Inferior Surface of Skull" * - "Oral Cavity: Maxilla"
Image at unc.edu
Bones of the head and neck {{musculoskeletal-stub