Not to be confused with the infraorbital groove

Infraorbital groove

Not to be confused with the inferior orbital fissure, which is just lateral to the infraorbital groove.Also not to be confused with the infraorbital canal, into which the groove enters, nor the infraorbital foramen, which is the canal's opening on the other side.Near the middle of the posterior...

 and infraorbital foramen

Infraorbital foramen

Above the canine fossa is the infraorbital foramen, the end of the infraorbital canal; it transmits the infraorbital artery, vein, and infraorbital nerve.-External links: *...

, which are on opposite ends of the canal.
One of the canal

Canal (disambiguation)

Canal usually refers to a human-made waterway that connects existing natural bodies of water. For specific canals, refer to the lists of canals. The word canal may also refer to:-Places:* Canal Flats, British Columbia, Canada...

s of the orbital surface of the maxilla

Maxilla

The maxilla is a fusion of two bones along the palatal fissure that form the upper jaw. This is similar to the mandible , which is also a fusion of two halves at the mental symphysis. Sometimes The maxilla (plural: maxillae) is a fusion of two bones along the palatal fissure that form the upper...

, the infraorbital canal, opens just below the margin of the orbit

Orbit (anatomy)

In anatomy, the orbit is the cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated. "Orbit" can refer to the bony socket, or it can also be used to imply the contents...

 (the area of the skull

Skull

The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...

 containing the eye

Eye

Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...

 and related appendages). It should not be confused with the infraorbital foramen

Infraorbital foramen

Above the canine fossa is the infraorbital foramen, the end of the infraorbital canal; it transmits the infraorbital artery, vein, and infraorbital nerve.-External links: *...

, with which it is continuous. It transmits the infraorbital nerve

Infraorbital nerve

After the maxillary nerve enters the infraorbital canal, the nerve is frequently called the infraorbital nerve. This nerve innervates the lower eyelid, upper lip, and part of the nasal vestibule and exits the infraorbital foramen of the maxilla.-See also:...

 as well as infraorbital artery

Infraorbital artery

The infraorbital artery is an artery in the head that runs in the maxilla, emerging through the infraorbital foramen, just under the orbit of the eye.-Course:...

, both of which enter this canal at the infraorbital groove and after coursing through the maxillary sinus exit via the infraorbital foramen

Infraorbital foramen

Above the canine fossa is the infraorbital foramen, the end of the infraorbital canal; it transmits the infraorbital artery, vein, and infraorbital nerve.-External links: *...

. Before exiting, the anterior superior alveolar nerve

Anterior superior alveolar nerve

The anterior superior alveolar branch , of considerable size, is given off from the maxillary nerve just before its exit from the infraorbital foramen; it descends in a canal in the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus, and divides into branches which supply the incisor and canine teeth.It...

, middle superior alveolar nerve

Middle superior alveolar nerve

The middle superior alveolar nerve is a nerve that drops from the infraorbital portion of the maxillary nerve to supply the sinus mucosa, the roots of the maxillary premolars, and the mesiobuccal root of the first maxillary molar....

and corresponding arteries will branch off.

External links

• Description at uams.edu