The ethmoid is a single bone, which makes a significant contribution to the middle third of the

face. It forms parts of the nasal septum, roof and lateral wall of the nose, and a considerable part
of the medial wall of the orbital cavity. In addition, the ethmoid makes a small contribution to the
floor of the anterior cranial fossa. Four parts can be distinguished; the perpendicular plate, the
cribriform plate and two ethmoidal labyrinths.

The perpendicular plate is one of the four parts that can be distinguished from the ethmoid bone.
It is a thin, quadrilateral plate of bone, which descends vertically in the midline from the cribriform
plate to form the upper part of the nasal septum. It has a thick inferior border that attaches with
the nasal septal cartilage. The inferior border articulates with the vomer below and the sphenoidal
crest of the body of the sphenoid bone above. The anterior border articulates with the nasal spine
of the frontal bone and the crest of the nasal bones.

The ethmoidal notch houses the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone and the plate forms a large
part of the nasal roof. The crista galli is a smooth thickened piece of bone, which is triangular in
shape, and arises up from the median of the plate. The posterior border is thin and curved, to
which the falx cerebri attaches. The anterior border has two ala processes, which on articulation
with the frontal bone complete the foramen caecum. The sides of the plate are smooth and
bulged with the air cells. The cribriform plate is narrow at the sides of the crista galli. Above the
plate are the gyrus rectus and the olfactory bulbs. There are numerous foramina, which transmit
the olfactory nerves from the olfactory bulbs.

The ethmoidal labyrinths (lateral masses) hang vertically downwards from the lateral margins of
the cribriform plate. Each labyrinth consists of a network of air cells separated by bony trabeculae
and bounded by a lateral plate, the orbital plate, and a medial surface, the nasal surface. The air
cells are, however, incompletely surrounded by bone and become roofed over by adjacent bones.
The upper surface of the ethmoidal labyrinth articulates with the frontal bone, the sphenoidal
concha and the orbital process of the palatine bone cover the posterior surface.

The orbital plate of the labyrinth is a smooth, quadrilateral plate of bone. Anteriorly, the exposed
air cells are covered over by the lacrimal bone and by the frontal process of the maxilla. Below,
the orbital plate articulates with the maxillary bone. Above, there are grooves for the anterior and
posterior ethmoidal nerves and vessels, which are converted into foramina by articulation with the
frontal bone. However, the posterior groove and foramen are frequently absent.

The medial surface of the ethmoidal labyrinth forms part of the lateral wall of the nose. Two thin,
scroll-like plates of bone hang down from it. The upper plate is the superior nasal concha; the
lower is the middle nasal concha. The middle concha is larger and extends more anteriorly. The
groove between the conchae is termed the ‘superior meatus’. Into this open the posterior
ethmoidal air cells. The region below the attached margin of the middle nasal concha curves
upwards and forwards to form a channel termed the ‘infundibulum’ in the middle meatus of the
nose. The anterior ethmoidal air cells open here. A swelling of the bone in this region overlies the
middle ethmoidal air cells, the ethmoidal bulla. An opening in or over the bulla is the site of
drainage for these air cells. A thin, curved plate of bone is found lateral to the anterior part of the
middle nasal concha; this is the uncinate process. The region between this process and the
ethmoidal bulla above corresponds to the hiatus semilunaris.