Topic
sphenoid bone
Prepared by
Laila
Shaiza
Natasha
Anas
Sohail
Anatomical structures
• The sphenoid bone is a butterfly-shaped bone
located in the middle front of the skull, at the base
of the cranium.
• The sphenoid bone is complex in shape and is
divided into several parts:
paired greater wings
lesser wings
Tpterygoid processes.
Body of Sphenoid
• The body of the sphenoid bone is the central, box-
shaped part of the sphenoid bone located at the base
of the skull . It's responsible for several important
functions.
• Structure:
• Shape: Roughly cube-shaped, but with some variations.
• Sphenoid sinuses: Contains two large, air-filled cavities
separated by a bony septum. These sinuses lighten the
skull and contribute to resonance during speech.
• Sella turcica: A depression in the shape of a saddle on
the superior surface of the body. This depression
houses the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland
responsible for producing many hormones.
• Surfaces: The body of the sphenoid bone has
several surfaces for articulation with other bones:
• Superior surface: Articulates with the ethmoid bone and
the frontal bone.
• Inferior surface: Articulates with the palatine bone.
• Anterior surface: Articulates with the ethmoid bone.
• Posterior surface: Forms part of the clivus, which slopes
down to meet the occipital bone.
• Lateral surfaces: Have complex articulations with the
temporal bones.
Greater Wing
• The greater wing extends from the sphenoid body
in a lateral, superior and posterior direction. It
contributes to three parts of the facial skeleton:
• Floor of the middle cranial fossa
• Lateral wall of the skull
• Posterolateral wall of the orbit
• There are three foramina present in the greater
wing – the foramen rotundum, foramen ovale and
foramen spinosu
Lesser Wing
• The lesser wing arises from the anterior aspect of
the sphenoid body in a superolateral direction. It
separates the anterior cranial fossa from the middle
cranial fossa.
• It also forms the lateral border of the optic canal –
through which the optic nerve and ophthalmic
artery travel to reach the eye. The medial border of
the optic canal is formed by the body of the
sphenoid.
Pterygoid Process
• The pterygoid process descends inferiorly from the
point of junction between the sphenoid body and
the greater wing. It consists of two parts:
• Medial pterygoid plate – supports the posterior
opening of the nasal cavity.
• Lateral pterygoid plate – site of origin of the medial
and lateral pterygoid muscles
Muscular Attachments
• The lateral and medial pterygoid muscles which
form some of the muscles of mastication originate
from the lateral pterygoid plate of the sphenoid
bone.
Articulations
The sphenoid is an unpaired bone. It sits anteriorly in
the cranium, and contributes to the middle cranial
fossa, the lateral wall of the skull, and the floor and
sides of both orbits.
It has articulations with twelve other bones:
• Unpaired bones – Occipital, vomer, ethmoid and
frontal bones.
Paired bones – Temporal, parietal, zygomatic and
palatine bones.
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