Orbit is the skull's compartment containing the eyeball, extraocular muscles, lacrimal gland, ophthalmic blood vessels, and multiple cranial nerves. The medial and inferior wall of the orbit is particularly thin and fragile* that may play an essential role in the compensatory "emergency" decompression of the orbit in case of direct eye trauma.
Anterior opening to the right orbit. Frontal view.
The list of terms:Aditus orbitalis – Orbital aditus (opening to the orbit) Margo supraorbitalis (aditus orbitalis) – Supraorbital margin (of orbital aditus) Margo medialis (aditus orbitalis) – Medial margin (of orbital aditus) Margo infraorbitalis (aditus) – Infraorbital margin (of aditus) Margo lateralis (aditus) – Lateral margin (of aditus) Paries superior orbitae – Upper wall of orbit Paries medialis orbitae — Medial wall of orbit Paries inferior orbitae — Inferior wall of orbit Paries lateralis orbitae — Lateral wall of orbit Fissura orbitalis superior — Superior orbital fissure Fissura orbitalis inferior — Inferior orbital fissure
Medial wall of the orbit.
In terms of the skeleton, the medial wall of the orbit is the most complex one. Note the orbital process of palatine bone that forms a fraction of the wall, but is a useful anatomical landmark for endoscopic endonasal surgical approach to the orbit's medial wall.*.
The list of terms:Processus frontalis maxillae – Frontal process of maxilla Os lacrimale – Lacrimal bone Lamina orbitalis ossis ethmoidalis – Orbital plate of ethmoid bone Processus orbitalis ossis palatini – Orbital process of palatine bone Corpus ossis sphenoidalis – Body of sphenoid bone Foramen ethmoidale anterius – Anterior ethmoidal foramen Foramen ethmoidale posterius – Posterior ethmoidal foramen Canalis opticus – Optic canal
Lateral wall of the orbit.
The list of terms:Facies orbitalis ossis zygomatici – Orbital surface of zygomatic bone Facies orbitalis alae majoris ossis sphenoidalis – Orbital surface of the greater wing of sphenoid bone Foramen zygomatico-orbitale – Zygomatico-orbital foramen Fissura orbitalis superior – Superior orbital fissure Fissura orbitalis inferior – Inferior orbital fissure
Upper wall of the orbit.
The list of terms:Facies orbitalis ossis frontalis – Orbital surface of the frontal bone Facies orbitalis alae minoris ossis sphenoidalis – Orbital surface of the lesser wing of sphenoid bone Fossa glandulae lacrimalis – Fossa for lacrimal gland
Lower wall of the orbit.
The list of terms:Facies orbitalis ossis zygomatici – Orbital surface of zygomatic bone Facies orbitalis maxillae – Orbital surface of maxilla Hamulus lacrimalis – Lacrimal hamulus (hook) Canalis nasolacrimalis – Nasolacrimal canal Sulcus infraorbitalis – Infraorbital groove Canalis infraorbitalis – Infraorbital canal Fissura orbitalis inferior – Inferior orbital fissure
First published: Feb/2020
Last update: 18/Nov/2020