The maxilla is a paired bone forming the majority of the facial skeleton and the upper jaw.
Description
The maxilla (pleural: maxillae) is a paired bone that forms the majority of the facial skeleton, as well as serves as the following:
- Floor of the orbit
- Upper jaw and roof of the mouth
- Inferior portion of the pyriform aperture (opening of the nasal cavity)
- Lateral walls of the nasal cavity
Parts
Each maxilla has a body and 4 processes through which it articulates with adjacent bones. The processes include:
- Frontal process. A superior projection that articulates with the frontal and nasal bones.
- Zygomatic process. A lateral projection that articulates with the zygomatic bone.
- Alveolar process. A thickened, U-shaped part of the maxillae (when fused) into which the upper (maxillary) teeth anchor.
- Palatine process. A thick, horizontal process that forms the anterior portion of the roof of the mouth (hard palate).
- The palatine process of each maxilla fuses at the midline, forming the