Infratemporal Surface Of The Greater Sphenoid Wing, Posterior View

Description

Greater wing of the sphenoid dominates the frame, with its infratemporal surface oriented toward the infratemporal fossa and presented from a posterior viewpoint that favors the skull base contours. The foramen ovale is typically identifiable as a large, oval aperture in the posterolateral part of the wing, with the smaller foramen spinosum lying posterolateral to it near the spine of the sphenoid. Laterally, the infratemporal crest marks the transition toward the temporal surface, while medially the greater wing approaches the pterygoid region and the scaphoid area near the root of the pterygoid process. Landmarks are crisp. Spatial relationships in this view map directly onto procedures and pathology at the central skull base: mandibular nerve (V3) exits the cranial cavity via the foramen ovale to enter the infratemporal fossa, and the middle meningeal artery traverses the foramen spinosum, a pairing that matters in percutaneous trigeminal interventions and in fracture patterns involving the greater wing. Posteriorly oriented lighting and a bone-only presentation help separate adjacent openings that are frequently confused in teaching, and they underscore how close these foramina sit to the spine of the sphenoid and the margins of the foramen lacerum region. Use this illustration in head and neck anatomy labs, neurosurgical and maxillofacial lectures on skull base corridors, and publishing figures that accompany discussions of V3 neuralgia procedures, middle meningeal artery injury, or infratemporal fossa tumor spread along foraminal pathways. It also supports radiology correlation when labeling foramina on CT of the sphenoid and adjacent cranial base. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.