Facial Bones
Ahmed K Momani
Radiology 2010
J.U.S.T
Nasal bones
• The nasal bones are two small oblong bones,
they are placed side by side at the middle and
upper part of the face, and form, by their
junction, “the bridge” of the nose.
• Articulations:
• Two of the cranium, the frontal and ethmoid,
and two of the face, the opposite nasal and
the maxilla.
Lacrimal bones
• The lacrimal bone, the smallest and most
fragile bone of the face, is situated at the front
part of the medial wall of the orbit.
• Articulations:
• The lacrimal articulates with four bones: two
of the cranium, the frontal and ethmoid, and
two of the face, the maxilla and the inferior
nasal concha
Maxillae
• The maxillæ are the largest bones of the face,
excepting the mandible, and form, by their
union, the whole of the upper jaw.
• Each assists in forming the boundaries of
three cavities;
 the roof of the mouth,
 the floor and lateral wall of the nose and
 the floor of the orbit
• Each bone consists of a body and four
processes:
 Zygomatic process: projects laterally to unite
with the zygoma
 Frontal process:which projects upward
towards the frontal bone
 Alveolar process: projects inferiorly, holds
cavities for the reception of the teeth
 Palatine process: process which form the
anterior portion of the mouth
• The 2 maxillary bones unite in the midline, the
upper part is Ant nasal spine and the part below
is the acanthion
• The body contains a large cavity, the maxillary
sinus.
Hard palate
• The ant portion of the roof of the mouth is
formed by palatine processes of the maxilla
• The joining between the processes occurs in the
midline
• Cleft palate is a congenital defect occurs when
there is no complete joining between the
processes
• The posterior portion of the hard palate is
formed by the palatine bones horizontal and
vertical
Zygomatic bones
• Form the lower outer portion of the orbit
• Temporal process is projecting posteriory to
join the zygomatic process of the temporal
bone (zygomatic arch)
• Zygomatic prominence is a positioning land
mark in the zygomatic bone
Nasal conchae
• 2 bones located in the nasal cavity on the
lateral walls
• 3 pairs: the superior and middle conchae are
parts of the ethmoid bone
• The inferior nasal conchae are part of the
facial bone
Nasal septum
• Nasal septum is formed by ethmoid and
vomer
• Superiory formed by perpendicular plate of
the ethmoid bone
• Inferiory formed by the vomer
Vomer
• The vomer is situated in the median plane,
but its anterior portion is frequently bent to
one or other side.
• It is thin, somewhat quadrilateral in shape,
and forms the lower part of the nasal septum .
Articulations
• The vomer articulates with six bones: two of
the cranium, the sphenoid and ethmoid; and
four of the face, the two maxillæ and the two
palatine bones; it also articulates with the
septal cartilage of the nose.
Palatine bones
• The palatine bone is situated at the back part
of the nasal cavity between the maxilla and
the pterygoid process of the sphenoid.
• It contributes to the walls of three cavities:
the floor and lateral wall of the nasal cavity,
the roof of the mouth, and the floor of the
orbit
Mandible
• The largest movable bone of the facial bones
• The angle of the mandible divides it into 2
parts: body and ramous
• The body extends from the one angle to the
other
• Ramous is located superior to the angle
• The union of the mandible’s halves is the
symphysis menti
• Mental protuberance (mental point) is below
the symphysis menti
• Mental foramina is located on each side of
the body
• Alveolar process forms the upper portion of
the body
• The upper portion of ramus is U shape
(mandibular notch)
• The process on the Ant side of the notch is the
coronoid process
• The process on the post side of the notch is
the condyle process
• TMJ is located anterior to the EAM
Paranasal sinuses
• Maxillary (facial)
• Frontal (cranial)
• Ethmoid (cranial)
• Sphenoid (cranial)