Inferior Nasal Concha Bone

Key Features & Anatomical Relations

The inferior nasal conchae (or inferior nasal turbinates) are a pair of small, curved, bony plates found on lateral walls of each nasal cavity. They are classified as irregular bones and contribute to the formation of the viscerocranium. Each inferior nasal concha includes the following bony features:

- surfaces: medial and lateral surfaces, and superior and inferior borders;

- landmarks: lacrimal, maxillary, and ethmoidal processes.

More information regarding these bony features can be found in the Surfaces and Landmarks tabs for this bone.

On its corresponding side, each inferior nasal concha is located:

- anterosuperior to a palatine bone;

- inferior to lacrimal and ethmoid bones;

- medial to a maxilla;

- lateral to the vomer.

Each inferior nasal concha articulates with the:

- lacrimal bone at a lacrimoconchal suture;

- palatine bone;

- ethmoid bone;

- maxilla.

Ossification

Ossification of each inferior nasal concha occurs at one ossification center, which appears in utero during the fifth month (Standring, 2016).

Variations

In some individuals:

- the shape of the inferior nasal concha can vary;

- the inferior nasal concha may be absent (Tubbs, Shoja and Loukas, 2016).

List of Clinical Correlates

- Fracture of inferior nasal concha

- Hypoplasia of inferior nasal concha

References

Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.

Tubbs, R. S., Shoja, M. M. and Loukas, M. (2016) Bergman's Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation. Wiley.