Posterior Superior Alveolar Foramen On The Maxilla, Lateral View

Description

Posterior superior alveolar foramina perforate the infratemporal (posterior) surface of the maxilla, clustered near the maxillary tuberosity and just superior to the alveolar process. From a lateral skull perspective, the openings sit posterior and slightly superior to the last maxillary molar region, with the zygomatic process of the maxilla rising anterosuperiorly and the pterygomaxillary fissure lying posteromedially at the boundary with the infratemporal fossa. Their position places them lateral to the maxillary sinus wall and anterior to the pterygoid process region. Small, but clinically loud. These foramina transmit the posterior superior alveolar nerves and accompanying vessels (branches of V2 and the posterior superior alveolar artery), the neurovascular supply that reaches the maxillary molars and adjacent buccal gingiva after coursing on the posterior wall of the maxilla. Dental anesthesia targets this area during a posterior superior alveolar nerve block, and the fixed lateral viewpoint helps you judge needle trajectory relative to the maxillary tuberosity while keeping the pterygoid venous plexus region in mind, where an overly posterior placement can produce a hematoma. The proximity to the maxillary sinus also supports teaching about referred pain patterns and the occasional communication of odontogenic infection toward the sinus and infratemporal space. Use this illustration for head and neck anatomy teaching (osteology of the midface, foramina and neurovascular transmission), dental local anesthesia manuals, and operative dentistry or oral and maxillofacial surgery texts that discuss PSA block landmarks and complications. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.