Bony palate

The bony palate, also known as the hard palate, is located at the front part of the base of the skull. It forms a portion of the upper jaw and is surrounded at the front and sides by the U-shaped alveolar arch of the maxilla, which contains tooth sockets. The bony palate acts as the roof of the oral cavity and the floor of the nasal cavity.

Specifically, the bony palate is made up of the palatine processes of each maxilla at the front and the horizontal plates of each palatine bone at the back. The two palatine processes of each maxilla meet in the midline at the intermaxillary suture. Additionally, the maxilla and palatine bones join at the palatomaxillary suture, while the horizontal plates of each palatine bone meet in the middle at the interpalatine suture.

Furthermore, notable features on the bony palate include the following:

• In the midline front region, just behind the incisive teeth, there is an incisive fossa. The walls of the incisive fossa have small openings known as incisive foramina. These foramina are openings of the incisive canals that act as passageways connecting the hard palate and the nasal cavity. The nasopalatine nerve passes through the incisive canal, entering the hard palate from the nasal cavity’s septum.

• Towards the posterolateral border of the bony palate, you can observe the greater palatine foramina. Additionally, there are several lesser palatine foramina situated just behind the greater palatine foramina. These foramina lead to the greater and lesser palatine canals. The greater palatine nerves and vessels travel through these canals, reaching the bony palate via the corresponding foramina on both sides. The greater palatine nerves provide innervation to the bony palate, while the lesser palatine nerves target the soft palate.

• The posterior edge of the bony palate serves as an attachment point for the palatine aponeurosis of the tensor veli palatini muscle in the soft palate. Additionally, there is a pointed projection in the middle called the posterior nasal spine, situated on the rear border of the hard palate. This spine serves as an attachment site for the musculus uvulae muscle.