Palatine Bone Flashcards

Examine the palatine bone's horizontal and perpendicular plates, processes, articulations, foramina, and contributions to the palate and nasal cavity.

Card 1 of 27Question

What is the palatine bone?

A paired, L-shaped facial bone contributing to the hard palate, nasal cavity, orbit, and pterygopalatine fossa.

In This Section

1. What is the palatine bone?

A paired, L-shaped facial bone contributing to the hard palate, nasal cavity, orbit, and pterygopalatine fossa.

2. What are the two principal plates of the palatine bone?

The horizontal plate and perpendicular plate.

3. Which part of the hard palate is formed by the horizontal plates of the palatine bones?

The posterior one-fourth of the bony hard palate.

4. Which surface of the horizontal plate forms part of the nasal cavity floor?

The superior, or nasal, surface.

5. Which suture joins the horizontal plates of the right and left palatine bones?

The posterior portion of the median palatine suture.

6. Which suture connects the palatine bones to the palatine processes of the maxillae?

The transverse palatine suture.

7. What is the posterior nasal spine?

A midline bony projection formed by the posterior ends of the horizontal palatine plates.

8. Which part of the palatine bone contributes to the lateral wall of the nasal cavity?

The perpendicular plate.

9. What are the two conchal crests on the nasal surface of the perpendicular plate?

The inferior conchal crest and the ethmoidal crest.

10. Which nasal concha articulates with the inferior conchal crest?

The inferior nasal concha.

11. Which nasal concha articulates with the ethmoidal crest of the palatine bone?

The middle nasal concha of the ethmoid bone.

12. What are the three processes of the palatine bone?

The pyramidal, orbital, and sphenoidal processes.

13. Where does the pyramidal process of the palatine bone project?

Posterolaterally from the junction of the horizontal and perpendicular plates, between the pterygoid plates.

14. Which part of the orbit is formed by the orbital process of the palatine bone?

A small part of the posterior orbital floor.

15. What is the sphenoidal process of the palatine bone?

A superior projection that articulates with the sphenoid bone and helps form the palatovaginal canal.

16. What is the sphenopalatine notch?

A notch between the orbital and sphenoidal processes of the palatine bone.

17. Which opening is formed when the sphenoid bone closes the sphenopalatine notch?

The sphenopalatine foramen.

18. Which structures pass through the sphenopalatine foramen?

The sphenopalatine vessels and posterior superior nasal nerves.

19. Which bones help form the greater palatine canal?

The palatine bone and maxilla.

20. Which structures pass through the greater palatine canal?

The descending palatine vessels and greater and lesser palatine nerves.

21. Where is the greater palatine foramen usually located?

Near the posterolateral hard palate, commonly medial to the maxillary third molar.

22. Which structures emerge through the lesser palatine foramina?

The lesser palatine nerves and vessels.

23. Which part of the palatine bone forms the medial wall of the pterygopalatine fossa?

The superior portion of the perpendicular plate.

24. Which bones articulate with each palatine bone?

The maxilla, sphenoid, ethmoid, vomer, inferior nasal concha, and opposite palatine bone.

25. How does the palatine bone primarily develop embryologically?

Through intramembranous ossification of mesenchymal tissue.

26. What is the clinical importance of the greater palatine foramen?

It is a landmark for anesthetizing the greater palatine nerve during dental and palatal procedures.

27. How can abnormal development of the palatine shelves affect the hard palate?

Failure of palatal shelf fusion can produce a cleft palate involving the bony palate.