Facial Skeleton Flashcards

Explore the facial skeleton's fourteen bones, anatomical divisions, articulations, orbital and nasal structures, muscle attachments, and clinical landmarks.

Card 1 of 30Question

What is the facial skeleton?

The viscerocranium, a group of bones forming the structural framework of the face.

In This Section

1. What is the facial skeleton?

The viscerocranium, a group of bones forming the structural framework of the face.

2. How many bones form the adult facial skeleton?

Fourteen bones, comprising six bilateral pairs and two unpaired bones.

3. Which six facial bones occur as bilateral pairs?

The maxillae, zygomatic, nasal, lacrimal, palatine, and inferior nasal conchal bones.

4. Which two facial bones are unpaired?

The mandible and vomer.

5. Which facial bones form the upper jaw?

The paired maxillae.

6. Which bone forms the lower jaw?

The mandible, the largest and strongest facial bone.

7. Which bones form the prominences of the cheeks?

The paired zygomatic bones.

8. Which facial bones form the bony bridge of the nose?

The paired nasal bones.

9. Which facial bones contribute to the anterior medial walls of the orbits?

The paired lacrimal bones.

10. Which facial bones form the posterior portion of the hard palate?

The horizontal plates of the paired palatine bones.

11. Which facial bone forms the posteroinferior portion of the bony nasal septum?

The vomer.

12. Which facial bones project into the lower portions of the nasal cavities?

The paired inferior nasal conchae.

13. Which facial bone contains the largest paranasal sinus?

The maxilla, containing the maxillary sinus.

14. Which bones form the bony hard palate?

The palatine processes of the maxillae and horizontal plates of the palatine bones.

15. Which bones contribute to the floor of the orbit?

The maxilla, zygomatic bone, and palatine bone.

16. Which bones form the zygomatic arch?

The temporal process of the zygomatic bone and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone.

17. Which facial bone articulates with the temporal bone to form a movable joint?

The mandible, forming the temporomandibular joint.

18. What is the alveolar process of the maxilla?

The inferior tooth-bearing projection containing the sockets for the upper teeth.

19. Which part of the mandible contains the sockets for the lower teeth?

The alveolar part of the mandibular body.

20. Which nerve emerges through the infraorbital foramen of the maxilla?

The infraorbital nerve, a branch of the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve (V2).

21. Which nerve exits the mandible through the mental foramen?

The mental nerve, a terminal branch of the inferior alveolar nerve.

22. Which structures enter the mandibular foramen?

The inferior alveolar nerve, artery, and vein.

23. Which muscle of mastication originates from the zygomatic arch?

The masseter muscle.

24. Which muscle inserts onto the coronoid process of the mandible?

The temporalis muscle.

25. Which bones form the lacrimal sac fossa?

The lacrimal bone and frontal process of the maxilla.

26. Which structure opens into the inferior nasal meatus?

The nasolacrimal duct.

27. How do most facial bones develop embryologically?

Primarily through intramembranous ossification of neural crest-derived mesenchyme.

28. What are the three classical Le Fort midfacial fracture patterns?

Le Fort I, horizontal maxillary; Le Fort II, pyramidal; and Le Fort III, craniofacial separation.

29. Why can a zygomatic arch fracture restrict mouth opening?

A displaced arch may obstruct movement of the mandibular coronoid process.

30. What developmental abnormality results from failure of fusion between the maxillary and medial nasal prominences?

Cleft lip, which may involve the upper lip and alveolar process.