The pterygoid hamulus is a hook-like process at the lower extremity of the
medial pterygoid plate of the
sphenoid bone of the
skull
The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, t ...
. It is the superior origin of the
pterygomandibular raphe, and the
levator veli palatini muscle.
Structure
The pterygoid hamulus is part of the
medial pterygoid plate of the
sphenoid bone of the
skull
The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, t ...
. Its tip is rounded off.
It has an average length of 7.2 mm, an average depth of 1.4 mm, and an average width of 2.3 mm.
The tendon of
tensor veli palatini muscle glides around it.
Function
The pterygoid hamulus is the superior origin of the
pterygomandibular raphe. It is also the origin of
levator veli palatini muscle.
Clinical significance
Rarely, the pterygoid hamulus may be enlarged, which may cause
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on t ...
pain
Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...
.
See also
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Hamulus
A hamus or hamulus is a structure functioning as, or in the form of, hooks or hooklets.
Etymology
The terms are directly from Latin, in which ''hamus'' means "hook". The plural is ''hami''.
''Hamulus'' is the diminutive – hooklet or little ho ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Bones of the head and neck