Maxillary Surface Of The Greater Wing Of The Sphenoid, Inferior View

Description

Sphenoid bone anatomy dominates the frame, centered on the maxillary surface (facies maxillaris) of the greater wing as seen from an inferior aspect. This smooth, relatively flat area faces anteroinferiorly, lying superior to the pterygoid process and anterior to the region that transitions toward the infratemporal surface of the same wing. Medially, the surface approaches the body of the sphenoid near the root of the greater wing, where the foramen rotundum typically opens toward the pterygopalatine fossa. Bone landmarks read well. Clinically, this patch of skull base is less about muscle attachment and more about corridors, it helps define the posterior boundary of the pterygopalatine fossa and frames the neighborhood of the maxillary nerve (CN V2) as it exits the middle cranial fossa through foramen rotundum. That relationship matters when planning endoscopic endonasal or transmaxillary approaches to the pterygopalatine fossa, when mapping perineural tumor spread along V2, or when teaching why V2-related facial pain can track deep to the posterior maxilla rather than the orbit. The fixed inferior perspective makes the pterygoid process an immediate inferior landmark, so the viewer can orient superior skull base foramina relative to the pterygoid plates without relying on multiple projections. Use this illustration in head and neck anatomy blocks, dental and maxillofacial surgery teaching files, and skull base operative atlases where a single view is needed to orient CT correlations of foramen rotundum, the pterygopalatine fossa, and adjacent sphenoid surfaces. It also suits neuropathic pain and perineural spread diagrams that need accurate bony context around V2. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.