The paired bone that forms the prominence of the cheek and the outer margin of the eye socket
Zygomatic bone — the cheekbone.
Anatomy · Bones
Zygomatic bone
The cheekbone
Skull · facial bones
The zygomatic bone, or cheekbone, is a paired bone forming the prominence of the cheek and much of the lateral wall and lower margin of the eye socket. Its temporal process meets the zygomatic process of the temporal bone to form the zygomatic arch, from which the masseter muscle arises.
How to spot them
- ▸A small, roughly diamond-shaped bone forming the prominence of the cheek below and outside the eye
- ▸Forms the outer wall and the outer part of the lower rim of the orbit
- ▸A backward-pointing process meets a forward-pointing process of the temporal bone to make a bridge of bone, the arch
- ▸Also called the malar bone or zygoma
What to know
Its short posterior projection joins a longer forward projection from the temporal bone, like two ends of a drawbridge
Zygomatic bone — the temporal process; together they form the zygomatic arch.
One of the main biting muscles arises from the arch that this bone helps form
Zygomatic bone — the zygomatic arch gives origin to masseter.
It forms much of the lateral wall of the orbit and the lateral and lower margins of the opening of the orbit
Zygomatic bone — with the frontal, maxilla and sphenoid it makes the orbit.
A blow to the cheek may break it in three places, giving a so-called tripod fracture
Zygomatic bone — the zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture.
It articulates with the forehead bone, the maxilla, the temporal bone and the greater wing of the sphenoid
Zygomatic bone — four articulations.
Its Greek name means a yoke or bar, from the way it joins other bones
Zygomatic bone — zygon, a yoke; the bone is also called the zygoma or malar bone.
Key ideas
- The zygomatic arch separates the temporal fossa above from the infratemporal fossa below and gives origin to the masseter.
Quick-fire facts
- •Also known as the cheekbone, malar bone or zygoma
- •The zygomatic arch is formed by the temporal process of the zygomatic bone and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone
- •The arch spans from the cheek to just above the ear canal
- •The space below the arch and deep to the posterior mandible is the infratemporal fossa; the space above is the temporal fossa
- •It articulates with the frontal, maxilla, temporal and sphenoid
- •The zygomatic process of the maxilla also meets it below the eye
- •Fractures of the zygomatic complex are called tripod fractures
- •It gives origin to zygomaticus major and minor, muscles of the smile, which are named for it
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Sources
- OpenStax — Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 7.2 The Skull
- TeachMeAnatomy — The Temporal Bone