title: Surgical and topographic anatomy of the maxillary line: an important landmark for endoscopic nasal surgery.
abstract: The maxillary line is an important surgical landmark in the lateral nasal cavity. We investigated its location, variation, and relation to other landmarks in 47 formalin fixed cadaveric half-heads dissected in steps. Measurements and observations were made to describe the topography of the maxillary line, maxillary line midpoint (M-point), and their relationship with surgically important structures. The mean curved length of the maxillary line was 15 mm (SD 3.5) and can be classified into three types. The M-point had a mean vertical distance of 0.8mm (SD 2.9) below the nasolacrimal sac-duct junction. It was found below, above, or on the same level as the nasolacrimal sac-duct junction in 57.4%, 38.3%, and 4.3% of specimens, respectively. In 51.1% the M-point was anterior to the nasolacrimal duct axis and 48.9% overlapping the lacrimal apparatus. The maxillary line and its M-point are useful surgical landmarks for localizing the nasolacrimal duct segments.
authors.affiliation: Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: a.raikos@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raikos
authors.affiliation: Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: pasan.waidyasekara@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pasan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Waidyasekara
authors.affiliation: Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: amy@apmail.me.
authors.forename: Amy Kathleen
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D059747:Nasal Surgical Procedures; D009301:Nasolacrimal Duct / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Endoscopic DCR; Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy; Lacrimal apparatus; Maxillary line; Nasolacrimal canal; Nasolacrimal duct