The sphenoid bone is one of the bones that make up the neurocranium, the part of the skull that protects the brain. It is also one of the seven bones that make up the orbit. It is an unpaired bone that lies between the frontal, temporal and occipital bones at the base of the skull. Due to its shape, it is also known as the “wasp bone” and it is sometimes said to have the shape of a butterfly or a bat. It contributes to the floor of the middle cranial fossa and makes up most of the middle aspect of the base of the skull. The sphenoid bone consists of four main parts: the body, the lesser and greater wings and the pterygoid processes. The body is located in the centre of the bone, with the lesser wings projecting superolaterally and the greater wings projecting posterolaterally from both sides of the body. The pterygoid processes descend from the junction of the body and greater wings in a perpendicular direction.
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