Foramina of skull

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The following is a list of holes, or foramina, in the base of the skull and what goes through each of them. Arranged from anterior to posterior:

Contents 1 List of foramina 2 Base of skull 2.1 Upper surface 2.2 Inferior surface 3 External links

[edit] List of foramina

bone	fossa	foramen	vessels	nerves
frontal	-	supraorbital foramen	-	supraorbital nerve
frontal	anterior	foramen caecum	emissary veins to superior sagittal sinus	-
ethmoid	-	foramina of cribriform plate	-	olfactory nerve bundles
ethmoid	anterior	posterior ethmoidal foramen	posterior ethmoidal artery posterior ethmoidal vein	posterior ethmoidal nerve
sphenoid	-	optic canal	ophthalmic artery	optic nerve (II)
sphenoid	middle	superior orbital fissure	superior ophthalmic vein	oculomotor nerve (III) trochlear nerve (IV) lacrimal, frontal and nasociliary branches of ophthalmic nerve (V1) abducens nerve (VI)
sphenoid	middle	foramen rotundum	-	maxillary nerve (V2)
palatine bone and maxilla	-	inferior orbital fissure	inferior ophthalmic veins infra-orbital vessels	zygomatic branch and infra-orbital branch of maxillary nerve (V2) orbital branches of pterygopalatine ganglion
sphenoid	middle	foramen ovale	accessory meningeal artery	mandibular nerve (V3) lesser petrosal nerve (occasionally)
sphenoid	middle	foramen spinosum	middle meningeal artery	nervus spinosus
sphenoid, temporal, and occipital	middle	foramen lacerum (or carotid canal)	internal carotid artery	internal carotid nerve plexus
temporal	posterior	internal acoustic meatus	labyrinthine artery	facial nerve (VII) vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)
temporal	-	stylomastoid foramen	stylomastoid artery	facial nerve
occipital and temporal	posterior	jugular foramen	inferior petrosal sinus sigmoid sinus posterior meningeal artery internal jugular vein	glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) vagus nerve (X) accessory nerve (XI)
occipital	-	hypoglossal canal	-	hypoglossal nerve (XII)
occipital	posterior	foramen magnum	vertebral arteries meningeal branches of vertebral arteries	medulla oblongata spinal roots of accessory nerves

[edit] Base of skull

[edit] Upper surface

[edit] Inferior surface

[edit] External links

• Overview at Marshall
• Tutorial/Quiz
• Photo
• Diagram