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Glite Dictionary
sphenopalatine

sphenopalatine

1 9.9
Relating to two bones at the back of the nose in the skull
  • adjective
  • /ˌsfɛnəʊˈpæləˌtaɪn/
  • Specialized
: esfeno-palatino
  • In 1996, Winstead described a transnasal microscopic approach to the sphenopalatine vessels at the sphenopalatine foramen.

Examples

  • The sphenopalatine artery was identified as it exited from the sphenopalatine foramen.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The surgeon carefully navigated the sphenopalatine region during the procedure.

  • The sphenopalatine junction is an important anatomical landmark in craniofacial surgery.

  • An injury to the sphenopalatine area can lead to significant complications in the skull.

Surface Forms

sphenopalatine positive

Morphology

sphenopalatine = palatine (semi-transparent) = spheno + palatine

The word is built from the combining form 'spheno-' plus 'palatine', so the anatomical meaning is fairly compositional but still specialized.

Etymology

Sphenopalatine comes from two parts: spheno- meaning 'wedge', used for the sphenoid bone, and palatine from 'palate' meaning 'roof of the mouth'. So sphenopalatine refers to something that relates to both that wedge-shaped bone and the palate area of the skull.