Pterygoid hamulus

Pterygoid hamulus
Sphenoid bone. Anterior and inferior surfaces. (Hamulus labeled at bottom left.)
Sagittal section of skull. (Sphenoid is in yellow, and pterygoid hamulus labeled at bottom center.)
Details
Part of	Sphenoid bone of skull
System	Skeletal
Identifiers
Latin	hamulus pterygoideus
TA98	A02.1.05.051
TA2	637
FMA	54722
Anatomical terms of bone [ edit on Wikidata]

The pterygoid hamulus is a hook-like process at the lower extremity of the medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone of the skull. It is the superior origin of the pterygomandibular raphe, and the tensor veli palatini muscle courses around it before inserting into the palatine aponeurosis.

Structure

The pterygoid hamulus is part of the medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone of the skull. Its tip is rounded off. ^[1] It has an average length of 7.2 mm, an average depth of 1.4 mm, and an average width of 2.3 mm. ^[1] The tendon of tensor veli palatini muscle glides around it. ^[1]

Function

The pterygoid hamulus is the superior origin of the pterygomandibular raphe. It is also the origin of levator veli palatini muscle. ^[1]

Clinical significance

Rarely, the pterygoid hamulus may be enlarged, which may cause mouth pain. ^[2]

See also

• Hamulus

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 151 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

1. Putz, R.; Kroyer, A. (1 January 1999). "Functional morphology of the pterygoid hamulus" . Anatomischer Anzeiger . 181 (1): 85–88. doi:10.1016/s0940-9602(99)80099-5. ISSN   1618-0402. PMID   10081567.
2. Sasaki, T.; Imai, Y.; Fujibayashi, T. (2001). "A case of elongated pterygoid hamulus syndrome" . Oral Diseases. 7 (2): 131–133. doi:10.1034/j.1601-0825.2001.70212.x. ISSN   1601-0825. PMID   11355439.

External links

• Anatomy figure: 22:4b-05 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
• "Anatomy diagram: 05287.011-1". Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator. Elsevier. Archived from the original on 2013-04-22.