Infratemporal Surface Of The Greater Wing Of The Sphenoid, Anatomy

Description

Greater wing of the sphenoid dominates the frame, emphasizing its infratemporal surface on the floor of the middle cranial region as it faces inferiorly and laterally toward the infratemporal fossa. Along this flat plate, the foramen ovale sits posterolateral to the lateral pterygoid plate and anterior to the foramen spinosum, while the sphenoidal spine projects posteriorly near the sphenomandibular ligament attachment. Anteriorly the surface approaches the posterior wall of the maxilla and the pterygomaxillary region, and laterally it contributes to the bony boundary deep to the zygomatic arch. Key foramina anchor the orientation. Clinically, this is the bony corridor for structures that matter in mandibular innervation and meningeal vascular supply: the mandibular nerve (V3) exits via foramen ovale into the infratemporal fossa, and the middle meningeal artery enters the cranial cavity through foramen spinosum adjacent to the sphenoidal spine. The relationship between these openings underlies common teaching points in skull base anatomy and explains why percutaneous trigeminal procedures and V3 nerve blocks reference the foramen ovale, while epidural hematoma discussions often return to the middle meningeal artery’s course after it passes this region. Emphasis on the broad, flat osseous surface clarifies where the medial pterygoid and lateral pterygoid lie in relation to the cranial base, and it helps separate the infratemporal fossa from the middle cranial fossa at a glance. Use this illustration in head and neck anatomy courses to orient the infratemporal fossa, in dental and maxillofacial education when teaching V3 anesthesia landmarks, and in neurosurgical or ENT publications that need precise foraminal topography at the skull base. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.