Longitudinal grooves and canals of the human hard palate

Study of the longitudinal palatine grooves and canals revealed that full bony vascular or neural channels are rarely seen in recent human palates. Bony walls of the canals are usually incomplete and very often there is just one groove bordered by bony ridges. Occasionally, one can find bony bridges over grooves which are remnants of the lower walls of the canals. Such bridges are usually found in the posterior part of the canal. Some bridges are incomplete and prominent bony spines remain in their place situated usually 9 to 11 mm in front of the major palatine foramen. The size of the spines is individually different but the longest recorded in the present series of skulls were 4 mm high above the surface of the palate. Palatine torus was frequently found in old and recent populations. In recent European skulls, it is almost as frequent as in medieval skulls and the slightly smaller percentage of occurrence in recent skulls does not justify the possibility of torus palatinus being a disappearing morphological formation.