Infraorbital Nerve, Anterior View

Description

Arising as the terminal continuation of the maxillary nerve (CN V2), the infraorbital nerve runs in the floor of the orbit within the infraorbital groove and canal, then emerges anteriorly through the infraorbital foramen inferior to the orbital rim. From that bony exit, its palpebral, nasal, and superior labial branches fan inferomedially and inferolaterally across the midface, distributing sensation to the lower eyelid, lateral nose, cheek, and upper lip. The infraorbital artery and vein typically accompany it at the foramen, and the relationship to the maxilla and the margin of the piriform aperture is apparent in a stripped-down skull view. Bone landmarks read cleanly. For clinicians, this is the nerve you target for an infraorbital block during laceration repair of the upper lip or nasal ala, and the same corridor is at risk in midface trauma such as zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures and orbital floor blowout injuries. Infraorbital neuropraxia presents as numbness of the upper lip, cheek, or lateral nasal sidewall, and anesthesia can be patchy when the foramen is mistaken for a more lateral zygomaticofacial exit. Small detail, big consequence. Use this anterior perspective in head and neck anatomy teaching to anchor the surface projection of the infraorbital foramen (often in line with the pupil in forward gaze) and to differentiate V2 distribution from supraorbital and mental territories. It also fits well in oral and maxillofacial surgery texts, regional anesthesia guides, and radiology primers correlating CT bony landmarks with sensory deficits after facial fractures. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.