Morphological Characteristics Of The Lacrimal Hamulus

Description

Lacrimal hamulus anatomy is centered on a small, hook-like bony projection at the inferomedial orbit, arising from the lacrimal bone at the base of the lacrimal groove. From a medial orbital perspective, the hamulus sits inferior to the posterior lacrimal crest and just posterior to the anterior lacrimal crest of the maxilla, marking the lower limit of the fossa for the lacrimal sac. Its curved tip projects anteromedially toward the nasolacrimal canal, where it relates closely to the lacrimal process of the inferior nasal concha and the bony margins guiding the nasolacrimal duct into the inferior meatus. Small structure, big landmark. Surgical anatomy around the lacrimal sac hinges on millimeters, and the lacrimal hamulus helps define the bony corridor used in dacryocystorhinostomy and other lacrimal drainage procedures. The fixed viewpoint emphasizes the transition from the lacrimal groove into the nasolacrimal canal, a relationship that underpins common teaching points in nasolacrimal duct obstruction and in post-traumatic epiphora after medial orbital rim injury. Subtle morphology matters here, because a prominent hamulus or irregular lacrimal crest can change how students and trainees interpret the limits of the lacrimal sac fossa when planning an approach through the frontal process of the maxilla. Use this illustration in head and neck anatomy, orbit, and ENT modules to anchor the bony landmarks of the lacrimal drainage apparatus, and in ophthalmology or oculoplastics publications discussing endonasal versus external approaches to lacrimal surgery. It also supports radiology correlation when explaining why thin lacrimal bone and adjacent sutures can mimic fracture lines on CT of the medial orbital wall. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.