Frontal Process Of The Maxilla, Anterior View

Description

Frontal process of the maxilla (processus frontalis maxillae) rises superiorly from the body of the maxilla along the lateral margin of the piriform aperture, forming a vertical buttress between the upper jaw and the frontal region. In this anterior perspective, its medial border aligns with the nasal bone and the frontal bone near the glabella, while its lateral aspect contributes to the anterior boundary of the orbit and the medial orbital rim. The anterior lacrimal crest is positioned on its orbital surface, just lateral to the nasal cavity. Hard cortical margins stand out. Clinically, this thin plate matters because it anchors the medial canthal region and frames the nasolacrimal pathway, with the lacrimal fossa and nasolacrimal canal lying immediately posterior to the crest where lacrimal bone meets the maxilla. Trauma across the naso-orbito-ethmoid complex can disrupt this buttress and alter medial orbital width, telecanthus, or tear drainage, and the fixed anterior view makes relationships to the nasal bridge and orbital rim easier to teach than oblique skull angles. Surgeons also reference this region when planning approaches around the medial orbital wall and lacrimal sac, where millimeters separate bone from the canaliculi. Use this illustration in head and neck anatomy teaching, maxillofacial trauma chapters (including Le Fort patterns and NOE fractures), and ENT or oculoplastics materials discussing epiphora and lacrimal sac exposure. It also suits radiology correlations when orienting learners to anterior bony landmarks that match facial CT surface anatomy. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.