The infraorbital groove (or sulcus) is located in the middle of the posterior part of the orbital surface of the

maxilla In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...

. Its function is to act as the passage of the

infraorbital artery The infraorbital artery is a small artery in the head that arises from the maxillary artery and passes through the inferior orbital fissure to enter the orbit, then passes forward along the floor of the orbit, finally exiting the orbit through the ...

, the

infraorbital vein The infraorbital vein is a vein that drains structures of the floor of the orbit. It arises on the face and passes backwards through the orbit alongside infraorbital artery and nerve, exiting the orbit through the inferior orbital fissure to drain ...

, and the

infraorbital nerve The infraorbital nerve is a branch of the maxillary nerve (itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). It arises in the pterygopalatine fossa. It passes through the inferior orbital fissure to enter the orbit. It travels through the orbit, ...

Structure

The infraorbital groove begins at the middle of the posterior border of the

(with which it is continuous). This is near the upper edge of the infratemporal surface of the maxilla. It passes forward, and ends in a canal which subdivides into two branches. The infraorbital groove has an average length of 16.7 mm, with a small amount of variation between people. It is similar in men and women.

Function

The infraorbital groove creates space that allows for passage of the

, the

, and the

Clinical significance

The infraorbital groove is an important surgical landmark for

local anaesthesia Local anesthesia is any technique to induce the absence of sensation in a specific part of the body, generally for the aim of inducing local analgesia, i.e. local insensitivity to pain, although other local senses may be affected as well. It all ...

of the

Additional images

File:Gray191.png, Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities. (Note distinction between infraorbital groove and inferior orbital fissure.)

References

External links