The Anatomy of the Hard Palate
In order to understand cancers of the hard palate, it is important to learn about the anatomy of this region. The hard palate is located at the front of the roof of the mouth, and is comprised of two bones: the palatine bone and the maxilla, each of which are covered by soft tissue. Cancers affecting the hard palate will commonly also involve the upper alveolar ridge, due to its close proximity. The upper alveolar ridge refers to the bone that houses the upper teeth, as well as the adjacent pink mucosa. This bone is attached to the maxilla at the alveolar process.
The Palatine Bone
The palatine bone is far more complex than it looks. It attaches to six different bones in the skull and forms the floor of the nose and maxillary sinus, the roof of the mouth, and even part of the eye socket. It also attaches to the soft palate, which is the tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth. The palatine bone also separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. The bottom side of the palatine bone that is closest to the oral cavity is covered by the oral mucosa, along with some minor salivary glands, arteries, lymphatics, and nerves.
The Maxilla
Cancers of the hard palate can often invade upwards into the maxilla. The term “maxilla” refers to the upper jawbone. It is made up of two bones fused together at the midline, just like the mandible. The maxilla has multiple different regions, or processes, which are named based on the bone to which they attach. For example, the palatine process of the maxilla attaches to the palatine bone. Another region of the maxilla, called the infraorbital foramen, encases a small nerve called the infraorbital nerve , which gives feeling to the cheek and the middle part of the face. If a hard palate cancer were to invade into the infraorbital nerve, one might lose sensation in this part of the face.
