Chapter 3 - Orbita Flashcards
Orbital Volume
30cm2
Orbit:
Entrance high
35 mm
Orbit
Entrance width
40 mm
Orbit
Medial wall length
45 mm
Orbit
Distance from posterior globe to optic foramen
18 mm
Orbit
Length of orbital segment of optic nerve
25-30 mm
The orbital walls are composed of the following 7 bones:
- ethmoid
- frontal
_ lacrimal
_ maxillary
_ palatine
_ sphenoid - Zygomatic
Roof of the orbit is composed of:
- The frontal bone
2. The lesser wing of the sphenoid
Roof of the Orbit
- composed of the frontal bone and the lesser wing of the sphenoid
- important landmarks: thelacrimal gland fossa,which contains the orbital lobe of the lacrimal gland; thefossa for the trochlea of the superior oblique tendon,located 5 mm behind the superior nasal orbital rim; and thesupraorbital notch,orforamen,which transmits the supraorbital vessels and branch of the frontal nerve
- located adjacent to anterior cranial fossa and frontal sinus
Lateral Wall of the Orbit
- composed of the zygomatic bone and the greater wing of the sphenoid; separated from the lesser wing portion of the orbital roof by the superior orbital fissure
- important landmarks: thelateral orbital tubercle of Whitnall,with multiple attachments, including the lateral canthal tendon, the lateral horn of the levator aponeurosis, the check ligament of the lateral rectus, the Lockwood ligament (the suspensory ligament of the globe), and the Whitnall ligament; and thefrontozygomatic suture,located 1 cm above the tubercle
- located adjacent to the middle cranial fossa and the temporal fossa
- commonly extends anteriorly to the equator of the globe, helping to protect the posterior half of the eye while still allowing wide peripheral vision
- is the thickest and strongest of the orbital walls
Medial Wall of the Orbit
- composed of the ethmoid, lacrimal, maxillary, and sphenoid bones
- important landmark: thefrontoethmoidal suture,marking the approximate level of the cribriform plate, the roof of the ethmoids, the floor of the anterior cranial fossa, and the entry of the anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries into the orbit
- located adjacent to the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses and nasal cavity
- medial wall of the optic canal forms the lateral wall of the sphenoid sinus
The thinnest walls of the orbit are
thelamina papyracea,which covers the ethmoid sinuses along the medial wall, and themaxillary bone,particularly in its posteromedial portion. These are the bones most frequently fractured as a result of indirect, or blowout, fractures (see Chapter 6). Infections of the ethmoid sinuses may extend through the lamina papyracea to cause orbital cellulitis and proptosis.
Floor of the Orbit
- composed of the maxillary, palatine, and zygomatic bones
- forms the roof of the maxillary sinus; does not extend to the orbital apex but instead ends at the pterygopalatine fossa; hence, it is the shortest of the orbital walls
- important landmarks: theinfraorbital grooveandinfraorbital canal,which transmit the infraorbital artery and the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve
Ethmoidal Foramina
The anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries pass through the corresponding ethmoidal foramina in the medial orbital wall along the frontoethmoidal suture. These foramina provide a potential route of entry into the orbit for infections and neoplasms from the sinuses.
Superior Orbital Fissure
The superior orbital fissure separates the greater and lesser wings of the sphenoid and transmits cranial nerves III, IV, and VI; the first (ophthalmic) division of cranial nerve (CN) V; and sympathetic nerve fibers. Most of the venous drainage from the orbit passes through this fissure by way of the superior ophthalmic vein to the cavernous sinus.