Pterygoid Plate Of The Sphenoid, Posterior View

Description

Pterygoid process anatomy dominates this posterior view of the sphenoid, where the medial and lateral pterygoid plates descend inferiorly as paired laminae on either side of a deep pterygoid fossa. The medial plate sits closer to the midline and typically terminates inferiorly in the pterygoid hamulus, while the broader lateral plate lies more laterally and forms the bony buttress for the infratemporal region. Superiorly, the plates converge toward the body of the sphenoid near the posterior apertures of the pterygoid (Vidian) canal. Midline reference is obvious. Fracture lines through the pterygoid plates are a defining feature of Le Fort patterns, so a posterior perspective helps when teaching why separation of the midface from the cranial base often includes these thin plates. The same anatomy matters in endoscopic and open approaches that navigate around the pterygopalatine fossa and the pterygoid canal, where the nerve of the pterygoid canal and accompanying vessels run toward the foramen lacerum region. Muscle attachments also benefit from this fixed view: the medial surface and fossa relate to medial pterygoid origin, while the lateral plate provides attachment for the lateral pterygoid, a relationship often discussed when correlating mandibular deviation with pterygoid spasm or trauma. Dental anatomy courses, head and neck gross anatomy labs, and maxillofacial surgery texts use this kind of isolated bony landmark image to orient readers before CT review of skull base trauma or preoperative planning for palatal and infratemporal fossa access. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.