Medial pterygoid plate

The medial pterygoid plate is one of the two bony projections that extend backwards from the sphenoid bone’s pterygoid process, with the other projection being the lateral pterygoid plate. At the front, the lateral and medial pterygoid plates join, creating a continuous surface at the anterior. However, towards the rear, these plates are divided by a V-shaped space known as the pterygoid fossa.

The posterior border of the medial pterygoid plate splits into two branches at the top, enclosing a triangular indentation called the scaphoid fossa. The entire length of its posterior border provides an attachment point for the pharyngobasilar fascia. At the base, the posterior border bends outward, forming the pterygoid hamulus. This structure serves as an anchoring point for the pterygomandibular raphe and is the origin for the superior constrictor muscle fibers in the pharynx. The auditory tube creates a notch in the upper portion of the posterior border of the medial pterygoid plate as it travels medially to the nasopharynx wall.