Lesser palatine foramina

The lesser palatine foramina are a pair of foramina (openings) on each of the palatine bones, which form the posterior roof of the human mouth. They are sometimes referred to as the minor palatine foramina. The lesser palatine foramina form a passage through the bone for the lesser palatine nerves and the lesser palatine arteries so that they may reach the soft palate from above. They are positioned posterior to the greater palatine foramen, in the pyramidal process of the palatine bone.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 180 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

• Anatomy photo:22:os-0608 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center