Projecting vertically downward from the greater wing immediately medial to the foramen spinosum is the irregularly shaped spine of the sphenoid, which is the attachment site for the cranial end of the sphenomandibular ligament.
The lateral plate of the pterygoid process is a vertically oriented sheet of bone that projects posterolaterally from the pterygoid process (Fig. 8.136). Its lateral and medial surfaces provide attachment for the lateral and medial pterygoid muscles, respectively.