palatinos

Palatines, also called palatine bones, are a pair of irregular bones in the facial skeleton. They form part of the posterior portion of the hard palate, contribute to the floor of the nasal cavity, and help form part of the orbital floor.

Each palatine bone consists of a horizontal plate (the palatal plate) that completes the back part of the hard palate, and a vertical plate (the perpendicular plate) that contributes to the lateral wall of the nasal cavity and to the posterior part of the orbital floor. The bones also have a pyramidal body between these plates and contain a palatine canal that leads to the greater palatine foramen.

The palatine bones bear the greater palatine foramen and canal, as well as the lesser palatine foramina. These openings transmit the greater and lesser palatine nerves and accompanying vessels, providing sensory and vascular supply to the palate.

In the skull, the palatine bones articulate with several neighboring bones, including the maxilla anteriorly, the inferior nasal concha laterally, and the sphenoid and ethmoid regions posteriorly, helping to complete the boundaries of the nasal cavity and the orbit.

Developmentally, palatine bones form by intramembranous ossification. They are paired and may show individual variation in size and shape.

Functionally, they contribute to the stability and separation of the oral and nasal cavities, support the posterior part of the hard palate, and provide passageways for neurovascular structures to the palate. Clinically, injuries to these bones can occur in midfacial trauma and are considerations in palatal surgery and cleft palate repair.