Maxilla in the Body, Superior View

Description

Oriented to a superior view, the maxilla is seen from above with emphasis on its orbital surface (facies orbitalis), which forms the anterior floor of the orbit and lies inferior to the globe. Medially, the maxillary contribution approaches the lacrimal groove and the boundary with the ethmoid, while laterally it extends toward the zygomatic process as the infraorbital region transitions anteriorly onto the facial surface. Posteriorly, the surface slopes toward the inferior orbital fissure and the pterygopalatine region, and anteriorly it leads to the infraorbital margin. Clean bony geography. Clinical teaching often hinges on this exact perspective because it explains how midface trauma propagates across the orbital floor and into the maxillary sinus, the classic blowout fracture pattern that can entrap the inferior rectus or inferior oblique and produce diplopia and enophthalmos. The course and exit point of the infraorbital canal relate directly to infraorbital nerve (V2) hypoesthesia after fractures of the maxillary body or surgical manipulation. Surgeons also read this surface when planning transantral or endoscopic approaches that risk violating the orbital floor, and when evaluating the relationship of the maxilla to the orbital contents and adjacent paranasal sinuses. Use this illustration for head and neck anatomy modules, craniofacial trauma chapters, and operative planning figures where a superior bony view clarifies the maxilla’s role in the orbit more efficiently than an external facial view. It also suits radiology correlation in CT-based teaching, where the orbital floor and infraorbital canal are routinely reviewed in axial and coronal planes. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.