Superior orbital fissure

Left orbit of the human from the front. 1 ethmoid foramen, 2 optic canal, 3 superior orbital fissure , 4 lacrimal sacci fossa, 5 infraorbital sulcus, 6 inferior orbital fissure, 7 infraorbital foramen.

The fissura orbitalis superior is a gap-shaped opening between the two wings, ala major and ala minor , of the human sphenoid bone ( os sphenoidale ) about 20 mm long and up to 6 mm wide in adult humans . It connects the eye socket ( orbit ) with the middle cranial fossa ( middle cranial fossa ).

The superior orbital fissure is divided into upper (lateral), middle and lower (medial) levels by the anulus tendineus communis and is the passage point for the following structures:

• Superior ophthalmic vein
• Ophthalmic nerve (V1, first main branch of the 5th cranial nerve, trigeminal nerve ) with its branches
  • Frontal nerve
  • Lacrimal nerve
  • Nasociliary nerve
• Trochlear nerve (IV cranial nerve)
• Oculomotor nerve (III.Cranial nerve)
• Abducens nerve (VI. Cranial nerve)

In the middle tier, enclosed by the anulus tendineus - and thus also intra-conically - lie the N. oculomotorius and the N. abducens next to the N. nasociliaris ; pulling the other hand, trochlear nerve and frontal nerve and lacrimal nerve (and remain in the further course through the upper (lateral) floor extrakonisch ).

In most non-primates, the opening between the wings of the sphenoid bone is called the orbital fissure . In the cloven-ungulate, it fuses with the foramen rotundum to form the foramen orbitorotundum .

See also

• Inferior orbital fissure
• Superior Orbital Fissure Syndrome

literature

• Herbert Kaufmann (Ed.): Strabismus . With the collaboration of W. de Decker among others. Enke, Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-432-95391-7 .