Lacrimal Bone, Lateral View

Description

Positioned at the anteromedial margin of the orbit, the lacrimal bone appears as a thin plate tucked just posterior to the frontal process of the maxilla and anterior to the orbital plate of the ethmoid. From this lateral skull perspective, the orbital rim formed by the frontal and zygomatic bones frames the blue-highlighted orbit, while the lacrimal sits medially, bordering the lacrimal fossa and aligning inferiorly with the nasolacrimal canal. Superiorly it approaches the frontolacrimal suture, and posteriorly it relates to the ethmoidal air cells across the lacrimoethmoidal junction. Cranial sutures, the zygomatic arch, dentition, and mandible remain visible as orientation landmarks. A lateral view that keeps the orbit in context is helpful when teaching why a bone this small matters: the lacrimal crest and adjacent maxilla define the bony channel that conducts tears from the lacrimal sac into the inferior meatus. Surgeons planning dacryocystorhinostomy rely on these relationships, because osteotomy is performed at the lacrimal fossa and must respect the thin lacrimal bone, the frontal process of the maxilla, and the nearby ethmoid to avoid orbital fat prolapse or entry into the ethmoidal labyrinth. Thin bone. Easy to breach. Ideal for head and neck anatomy courses, ophthalmology and otolaryngology teaching files, and publications covering lacrimal drainage obstruction, nasolacrimal duct anatomy, or orbital wall fractures where medial wall landmarks must be described accurately in relation to the facial skeleton. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.