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The
pterygoid canal is a passage in the
skullThe human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
leading from just anterior to the
foramen lacerumThe foramen lacerum is a triangular hole in the base of the skull located at the base of the medial pterygoid plate.-Transit through the foramen lacerum:...
in the
middle cranial fossaThe middle fossa, deeper than the anterior cranial fossa, is narrow medially and widens laterally to the sides of the skull. It is separated from the posterior fossa by the clivus and the petrous crest....
to the
pterygopalatine fossaThe pterygopalatine fossa is a fossa in the skull. It is the indented area medial to the pterygomaxillary fissure leading into the sphenopalatine foramen.-Boundaries:It has the following boundaries:...
.
Structure
The pterygoid canal runs through the
medial pterygoid plateThe medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid is narrower and longer than the lateral pterygoid plate; it curves lateralward at its lower extremity into a hook-like process, the pterygoid hamulus, around which the tendon of the Tensor veli palatini glides.The lateral surface of this plate forms part...
of the
sphenoid boneThe sphenoid bone is an unpaired bone situated at the base of the skull in front of the temporal bone and basilar part of the occipital bone.The sphenoid bone is one of the seven bones that articulate to form the orbit...
to the back wall of the
pterygopalatine fossaThe pterygopalatine fossa is a fossa in the skull. It is the indented area medial to the pterygomaxillary fissure leading into the sphenopalatine foramen.-Boundaries:It has the following boundaries:...
.
Contents
It transmits the
nerve of pterygoid canalThe nerve of the pterygoid canal is formed by the junction of the great petrosal nerve and the deep petrosal nerve within the pterygoid canal containing the cartilaginous substance which fills the foramen lacerum.-Course:...
,
artery of the pterygoid canalThe artery of the pterygoid canal is an artery that can arise from the internal carotid or external carotid , or serve as an anastomosis between these arteries.It more commonly arises from the ECA....
and vein of the pterygoid canal.
These three are also known as the Vidian Nerve, Vidian Artery and Vidian Vein.
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