Greater wing

The greater wing of sphenoid bone extends outward from its body as a curved bony structure on both sides of the skull. The greater wing, on both right and left sides, contributes to several regions in the skull, including the floor of cranial cavity, the temple area on the sides of the head, and the walls of the eye sockets.

The greater wing has five surfaces. The temporal surface forms part of the temporal fossa’s floor. It has a grooved surface facing forward to the maxilla, called the maxillary surface. The part of greater wing that forms the infratemporal fossa’s ceiling is known as the infratemporal surface. Additionally, the orbital surface shapes the lateral and posterior aspects of the eye socket, while the cerebral surface forms part of the middle cranial fossa and lodges the temporal lobes.

On the greater wing's infratemporal surface, you'll find several foramina, including the foramen ovale, foramen spinosum, foramen venosum, and foramen petrosum. These openings lead internally to the middle cranial fossa (on the cerebral surface of greater wing) and allow crucial cranial nerves to pass through, between the cranial cavity and the infratemporal fossa.

The greater wing of sphenoid bone connects with nearby bones and its edges are named after the bones they join with. These include the frontal, zygomatic, parietal, and squamosal (temporal) margins.