Inferior orbital fissure
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Mudgal P, Deng F, A A, et al. Inferior orbital fissure. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 23 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-28249
rID:
28249
Article created:
17 Mar 2014,
Prashant Mudgal
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Prashant Mudgal had no recorded disclosures.
View Prashant Mudgal's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Francis Deng had no recorded disclosures.
View Francis Deng's current disclosures
Revisions:
16 times, by
6 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- orbitalis
- IOF
The inferior orbital fissure (IOF) lies in the floor of the orbit inferior to the superior orbital fissure and it is bounded superiorly by the greater wing of sphenoid, inferiorly by maxilla and orbital process of palatine bone and laterally by the zygomatic bone. It opens into posterolateral aspect of orbital floor. It joins medially with the pterygomaxillary fissure at a right angle.
It transmits the:
- infra-orbital nerve (from the maxillary division of trigeminal nerve)
- zygomatic nerve (from the maxillary division of trigeminal nerve)
- a branch of the inferior ophthalmic vein and several emissary veins connecting it to the pterygoid venous plexus
- infra-orbital artery (from the maxillary artery) and vein
- orbital ganglionic branches of the pterygopalatine ganglion from the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve
The contents, and their ordering, may be remembered using this mnemonic.
Variant anatomy
The orbitalis muscle 2 is a small vestigial smooth muscle that may cover part of the fissure of the infra-orbital groove where it blends in with the periosteum. It is of unknown significance in humans, but in some animals may help control the volume of the orbit and aid in autonomic regulation of orbital blood vessels.
References
- 1. Imaging of the Head and Neck. Thieme. (2012) ISBN:3131505311. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Jonathan J. Dutton. Atlas of Clinical and Surgical Orbital Anatomy. ISBN: 9781437722727
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (I)
- Pharyngeal nerve
- Zygomatic nerve
- Posterior superior alveolar nerve
- Infraorbital nerve
- Inferior ophthalmic vein
- Orbital apex
- Infratemporal fossa
- Greater wing of sphenoid
- Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (staging)
- Infraorbital artery
- Trigeminal nerve
- Pterygopalatine fossa
- Cranial foramina
- Infraorbital groove
- Bony orbit
- Sphenoid bone
- Inferior orbital fissure contents (mnemonic)
- Arrested pneumatisation of the skull base
- Maxillary artery
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sutures
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