THE PALATE BONE 



111 



The external or lateral surface (fades maxillar is} is rough and irregular throughout 

 the greater part of its extent, for articulation with the inner surface of the maxilla, 

 its upper and back part being smooth where it enters into the formation of the 

 sphenomaxillary fossa; it is also smooth in front, where it covers the orifice of the 

 antrum. Toward the back 



Orbital process. 



Orbital surface. 



Maxillary surface. 



Superior meatus. 

 Sphenopalatine foramen. 



Maxillary 

 ' process. 



Horizontal Plate. 



FIG. 79. Left palate bone. Internal view. 



(Enlarged.) 



part of this surface is a deep 

 groove, the pterygopalatine 

 groove, converted into a canal, 

 the posterior palatine canal, 

 by its articulation with the 

 maxilla. It transmits the 

 posterior or descending pala- 

 tine vessels and the great or 

 anterior palatine nerve from 

 Meckel's ganglion. 



Borders. The anterior 

 border (Fig. 79) is thin, irreg- 

 ular, and presents opposite 

 the inferior turbinated crest 

 a pointed, projecting lamina, 

 the maxillary process (processus 

 maxillaris), which is directed 

 forward, and closes in the 

 lower and back part of the 

 opening of the antrum. 



The posterior border (Fig. 80) presents a deep groove, the edges of which are 

 serrated for articulation with the pterygoid process of the sphenoid. At the 

 lower part of this border is seen a pyramidal process of bone, the tuberosity of the 

 palate (processus pyramidalis), which is received into the angular interval between 



the two pterygoid plates of the sphenoid 

 at their inferior extremity. This process 

 presents at its back part a median groove 

 and two lateral surfaces. The groove is 

 smooth, and forms part of the pterygoid 

 fossa, affording attachment to the Internal 

 pterygoid muscle; while the lateral surfaces 

 are rough and uneven, for articulation 

 with the anterior border of each pterygoid 

 plate. A few fibres of the Superior con- 

 strictor of the pharynx arise from the 

 tuberosity of the palate bone. The base 

 of this process, continuous with the hori- 

 zontal portion of the bone, presents the 

 apertures of the accessory descending pala- 

 tine canals, through which pass the two 

 smaller descending branches of Meckel's 

 ganglion; while its outer surface is rough 

 for articulation with the inner surface of 

 the body of the maxilla. 



The superior border of the vertical plate 

 presents two well-marked processes separated by an intervening notch. The ante- 

 rior, or larger, is called the orbital process; the posterior, the sphenoidal process. 

 Processes. The orbital process (processus orbitalis], directed upward and out- 

 ward, is placed on a higher level than the sphenoidal. It presents five surfaces, 



Sphenopalatine 

 foramen. 



Sphenoidal process. 



'~ Articular portion. 

 Ao/i-; Hoilar portion. 



External Surface. 



Posterior 

 nasal spine. 



AZYQOS UVUL/E. 



Horizontal 

 Plate. 



FIG. 80. Left palate bone. Posterior view. 

 (Enlarged.) 



