| Maxillary hiatus | |
|---|---|
 Medial wall of left orbit. | |
 Left maxilla. Nasal surface. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | hiatus maxillaris, ostium maxillare |
| TA98 | A02.1.12.021 |
| TA2 | 778 |
| FMA | 57758 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The maxillary hiatus (also known as maxillary sinus ostium, maxillary ostium, or opening from the maxillary sinus)[citation needed] is the opening of a maxillary sinus into the middle nasal meatus of the nasal cavity. It is situated superoposteriorly upon the lateral nasal wall, opening into the nasal cavity at the posterior portion of the ethmoidal infundibulum.[1] Its opening in the maxillary sinus is present upon the superior part of the medial wall of the sinus[2][3] near the roof of the sinus;[4] because of the position, gravity cannot drain the maxillary sinus contents when the head is erect.[2][3]
An accessory maxillary hiatus may be present either anterior or posterior to the inferior portion of the uncinate process of ethmoid bone.[1]
- ^ a b Sinnatamby, Chummy S. (2011). Last's Anatomy (12th ed.). p. 376. ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0.
- ^ a b Human Anatomy, Jacobs, Elsevier, 2008, page 209-210
- ^ a b Bell, G.W., et al. Maxillary sinus disease: diagnosis and treatment, British Dental Journal 210, 113 - 118 (2011) at http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v210/n3/full/sj.bdj.2011.47.html
- ^ Gray, Henry (1918). Gray's Anatomy (20th ed.). p. 995.