The Skeleton / The Human Skull	Navigate This Article Introduction - The Parietal Bone The Occiput The Frontal Bone The Temporal Bones The Sphenoid The Ethmoid Bone The Lacrimal Bone The Nasal Bones The Zygomatic Bones The Maxillae The Palatine Bones The Inferior Nasal Conchae The Vomer Bone The Mandible The Hyoid Bone
submitted by Dr. Gary Farr - Contact the author here. Last Updated December, 10, 2011	Save Money! Check out our special offers here.

The Lacrimal Bone

The lacrimal bones are the smallest and most fragile of the facial bones. They are paried left and right and assist in forming the anterior portion of the medial wall of each eye orbit. They are basicaly rectangular with two surfaces and four borders. Each of the borders articulate with the bones that surround the lacrimal. The orbital or lateral surface contributes to the eye orbit, while the medial surface assists in forming a small portion of the nasal passage. The orbital surface possesses a sharp superior-inferior running ridge called the posterior lacrimal crest which divides this surface into an orbial plate and the lacrimal sulcus. The sulcus, along with a contiguous sulcus on the maxillae, assists in forming the lacrimal fossa which contains the lacrimal duct in life. The duct connects the medial corner of the eye to the nasal passage and allows tears from the eye to be shunted into the nasal passage.

The lacrimals touch, or articulate with, the following bones:

• Frontal
• Ethmoid
• Maxillae