ANATOMY OF MAXILLA

AND ITS
DEVELOPMENT

Dr.Snehashish Ghosh
Department of Oral Pathology
 INTRODUCTION
 Maxilla is the 2nd largest bone of
the face.

 The 2 maxillae form the whole

of the upper jaw.

 PARTS: the roof of the mouth,

the floor & lateral wall of the
nose & the floor of the orbit.

.
 2 fossae, the
infratemporal &
pterygopalatine.

 2 fissures, the inferior orbital

&
pterygomaxillary.
 DEVELOPMENT OF MAXILLA:
PRENATAL EMBROYOLOGY OF
MAXILLA:
4 week of
th IUL a
prominent bulge appears on
the ventral aspect of the
embryo.
 Shallow depression
primitive mouth
stomodeum
 Separated from the
foregut by
the buccopharyngeal
membrane
 5 branchial arches form
in the region.
 1st branchial arch is
mandibular arch –
responsible for the
 The mesoderm covering the
developing forebrain
proliferates to form the
frontonasal process.

 The stomodeum is overlapped

superiorly by frontonasal
process & laterally by
mandibular arches of both sides.

 Formation of nasal pits divides

frontonasal process into 2
parts :
a) The medial nasal process

b) The lateral nasal process

•The mandibular arch gives off a bud from its
dorsal end called the maxillary process
which grows ventro-medio-cranial to the
mandibular process.

•At this stage the stomodeum is overlapped

from above by the frontal process, below by
the mandibular process & on either side by
the maxillary process.

•The two mandibular processes grow

medially & fuse to form the lower lip &
the lower jaw.
•Maxillary process undergoes
growth, frontonasal process
becomes narrower so that 2 nasal
pits come closer.

•Line of fusion of maxillary process

& the medial nasal process
corresponds to the nasolacrimal
duct.
DEVELOPMENT OF
MAXILLARY SINUS:

 The maxillary sinus forms

sometime around the 3rd month of
intrauterine life.

 It develops by expansion of the

nasal mucous membrane into
the maxillary bone.

 Later sinus enlarges by resorption

of the internal wall of maxilla.
 ‘Is the pneumatic space that is
lodged inside the body of the maxilla
and that communicates with the
environment by the way of the
middle nasal meatus and the nasal
vestibule.
 The Maxillary Sinus or Antrum of
Highmore (sinus
maxillaris)
 Large cavity in body of maxilla.
 Pyramidal in shape, with base :
 Medially towards lateral wall of
nose
 Apex directed laterally into
zygomatic process of
maxilla.

 Roof formed by floor of orbit and

traversed by infraorbital canal.

 The floor is formed by alveolar

process of maxilla ,lies about
1.2 cm below level of floor of
nose.
FUNCTIONS :
 Speech and voice resonance

 Reduce the weight of skull

 Filtration of inspired air

 Immunological barrier

 Regulation of intranasal pressure

 Increases area for olfaction

 Humidification of inspired air

 STRUCTURE AND VARIATIONS – is
subject to a great variation in shape, size and
mode of developmental pattern

 Four sided pyramid, base – facing medially

toward nasal cavity, apex – pointed laterally
towards body of zygomatic bone.
 Microscopically – 3 distinct layers
surround the space of the sinus.
 Epithelial layer, the basal lamina and
subepithelial layer including the
periosteum.
 Epithelium –
pseudostratified ciliated
columnar is derived from
olfactory epithelium of
middle nasal meatus –
same differentiation as
respiratory segment of
nasal cavity proper.
 The epithelium is separated from the sub-
epithelial connective tissue by a basal lamina

 Subepithelial connective tissue has collagen

fibers, fibroblasts, protective cells such as
lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils

 Minor salivary glands are evenly distributed in the

connective tissue
 Most numerous cellular type – columnar ciliated cell. In
addition there are basal cells, columnar nonciliated cells,
and mucus producing secretory goblet cell

 The ciliated cells encloses the nucleus and an electron-

lucent cytoplasm with numerous mitochondria and
enzyme containing granules

 The cilia are typically composed of 9+1 pairs of

microtubules, and they provide motile apparatus to the
sinus epithelium.

 Goblet cells- unicellular secretory organs with

basally placed nucleus and apical cytoplasm filled
with secretory products
 CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS –
 Developmental anamolies – aplasia, hypoplasia,
supernumerary sinus.
 Endocrinal dysfuncion like gigantism – large
sinuses, congenital infections like syphilis –
pneumatic processes are greatly suppressed.
 Upper first molar – closest to the sinus – oroantral
fistulae, chronic infections of sinus might involve
superior alveolar nerves if they lie close and
simulate neuralgia of dental origin.
 POST-NATAL GROWTH OF MAXILLA

 Maxillary complex is attached to the cranial it influences the

base
development of this region.
 The growth of the maxilla is dependent on the spheno-occipital &
spheno- ethmoidal synchondroses.

 The growth of the nasomaxillary complex is produced by the

following mechanisms:
 Displacement

 Growth at Sutures

 Surface Remodeling

Displacement
 Growth of the cranial base
passive /secondary displacement
of nasomaxillary complex in
downward & forward direction.

 As middle cranial fossa grows

it moves the nasomaxillary
complex to a more anterior
position.

 Growth of the maxillary

tuberosity primary type
of displacement in a forward
direction,due to the enlargement
of the bone itself.
 Growth At Sutures :
Maxilla is connected to the cranium
& cranial base by a number of
sutures:
 The fronto-nasal suture

 The fronto-maxillary

suture
 The zygomatico-temporal

suture
 The zygomatico-maxillary

sututre
 The pterygo-palatine

suture
 Surface Remodeling :
 Massive surface remodeling by
bone deposition & resorption
increase in size; change in shape
of bone; & change in functional
relationship.
 Resorption occurs on lateral
surface of the orbital rim
To compensate for this
resorption there is bone
deposition on the external
surface of the lateral rim.
 Bone deposition occurs along
the posterior margin of the
maxillary tuberosity,
lengthening of dental arch &
enlargement of antero-posterior
dimension of entire maxillary
body & helps to accommodate
developing molars.

 Bone resorption on the lateral

wall of the nose leads to an
increase in the size of the nasal
cavity.
 Anatomy of maxilla
BODY OF MAXILLA:
 Body of maxilla is pyramidal in
shape, with its base directed
medially at the nasal surface,
and the apex directed laterally at
the zygomatic process.

 It has four surfaces and encloses

a large cavity; the maxillary
sinus.
(1)Anterior or facial
(2)Posterior or
infratemporal (3)Superior or
orbital
(4) Medial or nasal
MEDIAL OR NASAL
SURFACE
Four Processes of Maxilla:

 Zygomatic Process
 Frontal Process
 Alveolar Process
 Palatine Process
PALATINE
PROCESS
 Articulations of Maxilla
 Superiorly, it articulates with- 3 bones
1) Nasal
2) frontal
3) lacrimal.

 Medially : 5 bones
1) Ethmoid
2) Inferior nasal concha
3) Vomer
4) Palatine
5) Opposite maxilla
 Laterally : 1 bone

1) Zygomatic bone
 Age
Changes
 At birth :
 Transverse and anteroposterior diameters >vertical diameter;
 Frontal process is well marked
 Body consists of a little more than the alveolar process;
 The tooth sockets close to floor of orbit
 Maxillary sinus is a mere furrow on the lateral wall of the nose.
 In Adults:

Vertical diameter is greatest due to developed alveolar process
 increase in the size of the sinus.

 In Old

Infantile condition
 Its height is reduced as a result of absorption of the alveolar

process.
Nerve
supply
Arterial
supply
LYMPHATICS