Scaphoid fossa
Fossa scaphoidea
Definition
The scaphoid fossa is a small, shallow, oval depression located at the upper end of the medial pterygoid plate’s posterior border. It is positioned where the plate divides into its two branches, which surround the fossa. This fossa houses the thick cartilaginous portion of the auditory tube and serves as the point of origin for the tensor veli palatini muscle fibers, which are part of the soft palate.
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Text written by Antoine Micheau, MD - Copyright IMAIOS and reviewed by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2024 IMAIOS.
Standring, S. (2016). ‘Chapter 27: External skull’ in Gray’s anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. (41st ed.) New York NY: Elsevier, pp. 422.
Drake, R.L., Vogl, A.W. and Mitchell, A.W.M. (2009). ‘Chapter 8: Head and Neck’ in Gray’s anatomy for Students. (2nd ed.) Philadelphia PA 19103-2899: Elsevier, pp. 1048-1049.
