Sphenoid bone

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Bone: Sphenoid bone
Cranial Bones. Only the end of the wing of the sphenoid bone is visible
Sphenoid bone, upper surface.
Latin	os sphenoidale
Gray's	subject #35 147
MeSH	Sphenoid+Bone

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Overview

The sphenoid bone (from Greek sphenoeides, "wedgelike") is a bone situated at the base of the skull in front of the temporals and basilar part of the occipital bone.

The sphenoid bone somewhat resembles a butterfly or bat with its wings extended.

Portions

Seven bones articulate to form the orbit. The sphenoid bone is one of them, labeled with pink

It is divided into the following parts:

• a median portion, known as the body of sphenoid bone
• two greater wings and two lesser wings
• Pterygoid processes of the sphenoides which project from it posteriorly (below)

Two sphenoidal conchae are situated at the anterior and posterior part of the body.

The skull from the front. The sphenoid is labeled with yellow to the left of the picture, both in the orbit and behind the zygomatic process

Named features

Various other named features of the sphenoid bone exist:

• pterygoid notch
• pterygoid fossa
• scaphoid fossa
• vaginal process
• pterygoid hamulus
• pterygoid canal
• pterygospinous process

Additional images

Facial bones.	Lateral wall of nasal cavity, showing ethmoid bone in position.	Sphenoid bone visible center right.	Base of skull. Inferior surface.
Lateral view of the skull.	Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities.	Floor of the skull.	Roof, floor, and lateral wall of left nasal cavity.

See also

• Bone terminology
• Ossification of the sphenoid
• Pterygospinal ligament
• Terms for anatomical location

External links

• SUNY Figs 22:01-06 - "Lateral view of skull."

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

ca:Esfenoide da:Kileben de:Keilbeinfr:Os sphénoïde it:Osso sfenoide la:Os sphenoidale lt:Pleištakaulis nl:Wiggenbeen ja:蝶形骨 no:Kilebeinetsk:Klinová kosť sl:Zagozdnica fi:Kitaluu uk:Клиноподібна кістка

Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content

Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .