Description
The greater wings (major wings or alae magnae) are the two large, curved, irregular processes found along the lateral aspects of the sphenoid bone. On its corresponding side, each greater wing:
—is continuous medially with the body of sphenoid bone and continuous inferomedially with a pterygoid process of sphenoid bone;
—consists of cerebral, temporal, infratemporal, maxillary and orbital surfaces, frontal, parietal, squamosal, petrosal and zygomatic margins, and an infratemporal crest, spine of sphenoid bone and sulcus of auditory tube;
—consists of a foramen rotundum, foramen ovale and foramen spinosum, and contributes to the formation of superior and inferior orbital fissures;
—articulates with frontal, parietal, temporal and zygomatic bones;
—contributes to the formation of the middle cranial fossa, temporal fossa, infratemporal fossa, and lateral wall of an orbit;
—provides origin sites for a temporalis muscle and a superior head of lateral pterygoid muscle;
—provides attachments sites for pterygospinous and sphenomandibular ligaments.
