Orbital cavity (orbit): walls, foramina and boundaries
Quick facts
- Definition
- A pyramid-shaped bony cavity that houses the eyeball, muscles, nerves, vessels and fat.
- Walls
- Roof (frontal), floor (maxilla), lateral wall (zygomatic and sphenoid) and medial wall (ethmoid, lacrimal and maxilla).
- Passages
- Optic canal, superior and inferior orbital fissures, supraorbital foramen and infraorbital canal.
- Relevance in HOF
- Defines the rim, the tear trough and the risk of eye complications in periorbital injections.
The orbital cavity, or orbit, is the pyramid-shaped bony space that houses the eyeball, the muscles that move it, nerves, vessels and fat. The base of the pyramid is the opening we see on the face, and the apex points backward, toward the skull.
What are the walls?
| Wall | Main bones |
|---|---|
| Roof | Frontal bone and part of the sphenoid |
| Floor | Maxilla and part of the zygomatic |
| Lateral wall | Zygomatic bone and sphenoid |
| Medial wall | Ethmoid, lacrimal and maxilla |
The outer contour is the orbital rim, which the professional palpates during the assessment.
What passes through the openings?
- The optic canal carries the optic nerve and the ophthalmic artery.
- The superior orbital fissure carries nerves to the eye muscles and the ophthalmic veins.
- The inferior orbital fissure connects the orbit with the deep region of the face.
- The infraorbital canal, in the floor, carries the infraorbital nerve to the cheek.
- The supraorbital foramen, in the roof, lets nerves and vessels of the forehead pass.
Why does this matter for HOF?
The under-eye hollow, the palpebromalar groove and the tear trough form over the rim. The vessels in the region connect with those that supply the eye, so a product injected into a vessel can, in theory, cause a serious visual complication. The chance is low, but the consequence is serious and irreversible.
In Harmy
The Tear trough point marks the area just below the eye, outside the cavity. The projection shows the intended appearance with a conservative volume and does not represent bone, orbit or vessels.
Frequently asked questions
Which bones form the orbit?
Seven bones: frontal, zygomatic, maxilla, sphenoid, ethmoid, lacrimal and palatine. The visible rim is formed mainly by the frontal, zygomatic and maxilla.
Why does the orbit matter when filling the tear trough?
Because the tear trough sits over the orbital rim, and the vessels in this region connect with those that supply the eye. That is why technique and anatomy call for care.