Incisive foramen

Incisive foramen
Incisive foramen
	The bony palate and alveolar arch.
Details
Part of	Hard palate
Identifiers
Latin	foramen incisivum
TA98	A02.1.00.060
TA2	464
FMA	57737 75305, 57737
	Anatomical terms of bone [ edit on Wikidata]

Last updated July 18, 2025

In the human mouth, the incisive foramen (also known as: "anterior palatine foramen", or "nasopalatine foramen") is the opening of the incisive canals on the hard palate immediately behind the incisor teeth. It gives passage to blood vessels and nerves. The incisive foramen is situated within the incisive fossa of the maxilla.

Structure

The incisive foramen is a funnel-shaped opening in the bone of the oral hard palate representing the inferior termination of the incisive canal.^{[ citation needed ]} An oral prominence - the incisive papilla - overlies the incisive fossa.^[1]

The incisive foramen is situated immediately behind the incisor teeth, and in between the two premaxillae.^{[ citation needed ]}

the pterygopalatine nerves to the hard palate.^[2]
the nasopalatine nerves from the floor of the nasal cavity.^[3]
the sopalatine branches of the infratrochlear nerve, a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (V1), itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve.^[4]
the sphenopalatine artery supplying the mucous membrane covering the hard palate of the mouth.^[3]
the sphenopalatine vein draining the mucous membrane covering the hard palate of the mouth.

Clinical significance

As many nerves exit the incisive canal at the incisive foramen, it may be used for injection of local anaesthetic.^[3]

When plain radiographs are taken of the mouth, the incisive foramen may be mistaken for a periapical lesion.^[5]

The incisive foramen can be used as a landmark when describing cleft lip and cleft palate, which can either extend in front of (primary) or behind (secondary) the foramen.^[6]^[7] It is also important as a surgical landmark to avoid damaging its nerves and vascular structures.^[3]

History

The incisive foramen is also known as the anterior palatine foramen,^[5] the nasopalatine foramen, and the incisive fossa.

Other animals

In many other species, the incisive foramina allow for passage of ducts to the vomeronasal organ.^[2] It can be found in cats,^[6] and alligators.^[8]

Additional images

Inferior surface of base of skull
Incisive fossa

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 162 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

↑ Standring, Susan, ed. (2016). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (41st ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier Limited. p. 510. ISBN 978-0-7020-5230-9. OCLC 920806541.
1 2 Maynard, Robert Lewis; Downes, Noel (2019-01-01). "10 - Nasal Cavity". Anatomy and Histology of the Laboratory Rat in Toxicology and Biomedical Research. Academic Press. pp. 109–121. ISBN 978-0-12-811837-5.
1 2 3 4 Tomaszewska, Iwona M.; Popieluszko, Patrick; Tomaszewski, Krzysztof A.; Walocha, Jerzy A. (2019), Iwanaga, Joe; Tubbs, R. Shane (eds.), "Anatomy and Variations of the Incisive Foramen" , Anatomical Variations in Clinical Dentistry, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 117–123, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-97961-8_11, ISBN 978-3-319-97961-8, S2CID 86526891 , retrieved 2021-09-16
↑ Moskovitz, Joshua B.; Choi, Andrew (2015). "11 - Regional Nerve Blocks of the Head and Neck". Nerves and nerve injuries. Vol. 1 - History, embryology, anatomy, imaging, and diagnostics. Amsterdam: Academic Press. pp. 147–151. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-410390-0.00011-1. ISBN 978-0-12-410447-1. OCLC 908128669.
1 2 Gorrel, Cecilia; Andersson, Susanne; Verhaert, Leen (2013-01-01). "7 - Dental radiography". Veterinary Dentistry for the General Practitioner (2nd ed.). Saunders. pp. 67–80. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4943-9.00012-0. ISBN 978-0-7020-4943-9.
1 2 Rochette, Judy (2016). "103 - Disorders and Normal Variations of the Oral Cavity of Kittens and Senior Cats". August's Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine. Vol. 7. Saunders. pp. 1024–1033. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-22652-3.00103-1. ISBN 978-0-323-22652-3.
↑ Mitchell, Barry S.; Sharma, Ram (2009). "11 - Development of the head and neck, the eye and ear". Embryology (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. pp. 63–72. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-3225-7.50014-2. ISBN 978-0-7020-3225-7. OCLC 245507391.
↑ De Iuliis, Gerardo; Pulerà, Dino (2011-01-01). "8 - Reptile Skulls and Mandibles". The Dissection of Vertebrates (2nd ed.). Academic Press. pp. 253–285. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-375060-0.00008-5. ISBN 978-0-12-375060-0.

External links

Anatomy figure: 22:4b-01 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center

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[1] Standring, Susan, ed. (2016). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (41st ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier Limited. p. 510. ISBN 978-0-7020-5230-9. OCLC 920806541.

[:0-2] 1 2 Maynard, Robert Lewis; Downes, Noel (2019-01-01). "10 - Nasal Cavity". Anatomy and Histology of the Laboratory Rat in Toxicology and Biomedical Research. Academic Press. pp. 109–121. ISBN 978-0-12-811837-5.

[:3-3] 1 2 3 4 Tomaszewska, Iwona M.; Popieluszko, Patrick; Tomaszewski, Krzysztof A.; Walocha, Jerzy A. (2019), Iwanaga, Joe; Tubbs, R. Shane (eds.), "Anatomy and Variations of the Incisive Foramen" , Anatomical Variations in Clinical Dentistry, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 117–123, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-97961-8_11, ISBN 978-3-319-97961-8, S2CID 86526891 , retrieved 2021-09-16

[4] Moskovitz, Joshua B.; Choi, Andrew (2015). "11 - Regional Nerve Blocks of the Head and Neck". Nerves and nerve injuries. Vol. 1 - History, embryology, anatomy, imaging, and diagnostics. Amsterdam: Academic Press. pp. 147–151. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-410390-0.00011-1. ISBN 978-0-12-410447-1. OCLC 908128669.

[:1-5] 1 2 Gorrel, Cecilia; Andersson, Susanne; Verhaert, Leen (2013-01-01). "7 - Dental radiography". Veterinary Dentistry for the General Practitioner (2nd ed.). Saunders. pp. 67–80. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-4943-9.00012-0. ISBN 978-0-7020-4943-9.

[:2-6] 1 2 Rochette, Judy (2016). "103 - Disorders and Normal Variations of the Oral Cavity of Kittens and Senior Cats". August's Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine. Vol. 7. Saunders. pp. 1024–1033. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-22652-3.00103-1. ISBN 978-0-323-22652-3.

[7] Mitchell, Barry S.; Sharma, Ram (2009). "11 - Development of the head and neck, the eye and ear". Embryology (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. pp. 63–72. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-3225-7.50014-2. ISBN 978-0-7020-3225-7. OCLC 245507391.

[8] De Iuliis, Gerardo; Pulerà, Dino (2011-01-01). "8 - Reptile Skulls and Mandibles". The Dissection of Vertebrates (2nd ed.). Academic Press. pp. 253–285. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-375060-0.00008-5. ISBN 978-0-12-375060-0.

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