Incisive foramen

Last revised by Khalid Waleed Younus on 2 Jul 2023

The incisive foramen (also known as nasopalatine foramen or anterior palatine foramen) is the oral opening of the nasopalatine canal. It is located in the maxilla in the incisive fossa, midline in the palate posterior to the central incisors, at the junction of the medial palatine and incisive sutures. It can be single or multiple.

It transmits the greater palatine artery and vein from the oral to the nasal cavity and the nasopalatine nerve in the opposite direction.

Radiographic appearance

Radiographically, incisive foramina appear as ovoid radiolucencies between the roots of the central incisors.

Related pathology

The incisive foramen is the potential site for the incisive canal cyst formation.

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