Nasal surface of maxilla

The nasal surface of maxilla, or its medial side, is home to various important features. Posterosuperiorly, it provides an entry to the maxillary sinus via the maxillary hiatus. Above this hiatus, the middle ethmoidal air cells are located, whereas below it lies the smooth, concave part of the maxilla's nasal surface that contributes to the inferior nasal meatus. Towards the back, behind the hiatus, the nasal surface of maxilla articulates with the perpendicular plate of the palatine bone, forming a pathway called the greater palatine canal, for the passage of descending palatine vessels and greater and lesser palatine nerves. In front of the hiatus, there’s a nasolacrimal groove that, in conjunction with the descending process of the lacrimal bone and the lacrimal process of the inferior nasal concha, becomes the nasolacrimal canal. This canal carries the nasolacrimal duct down to the inferior meatus of nose. More anteriorly, an oblique ridge called the conchal crest articulates with the inferior nasal concha, while just above this crest, a shallow depression contributes to the atrium of the middle meatus of nose.