Foramina of the skull

Bone: Foramina of the skull

Base of the skull. Upper surface

Base of the skull. Inferior surface, attachment of muscles marked in red

The human skull has numerous holes (foramina) through which cranial nerves, arteries, veins and other structures pass.

List of foramina and the structures that pass through them

Bone	Cranial fossa	Foramina	Vessels	Nerves
frontal	-	supraorbital foramen	supraorbital artery, supraorbital vein	supraorbital nerve
frontal	anterior cranial fossa	foramen cecum	emissary veins to superior sagittal sinus	-
ethmoid	-	foramina of cribriform plate	-	olfactory nerve bundles (I)
ethmoid	anterior cranial fossa	anterior ethmoidal foramen	anterior ethmoidal artery anterior ethmoidal vein	anterior ethmoidal nerve
ethmoid	anterior cranial fossa	posterior ethmoidal foramen	posterior ethmoidal artery posterior ethmoidal vein	posterior ethmoidal nerve
sphenoid	-	optic canal	ophthalmic artery	optic nerve (II)
sphenoid	middle cranial fossa	superior orbital fissure	superior ophthalmic vein	oculomotor nerve (III) trochlear nerve (IV) lacrimal, frontal and nasociliary branches of ophthalmic nerve (V₁) abducent nerve (VI)
sphenoid	middle cranial fossa	foramen rotundum	-	maxillary nerve (V₂)
maxilla	-	incisive foramen/incisive canals	sphenopalatine artery	nasopalatine nerve(V2)
palatine	-	greater palatine foramen	greater palatine artery greater palatine vein	greater palatine nerve
palatine and maxilla	-	lesser palatine foramina	lesser palatine artery lesser palatine vein	lesser palatine nerve
sphenoid and maxilla	-	inferior orbital fissure	inferior ophthalmic veins infraorbital artery infraorbital vein	zygomatic nerve and infraorbital nerve of maxillary nerve (V₂) orbital branches of pterygopalatine ganglion
maxilla	-	infraorbital foramen	infraorbital artery infraorbital vein	infraorbital nerve
sphenoid	middle cranial fossa	foramen ovale	accessory meningeal artery	mandibular nerve (V₃) lesser petrosal nerve (occasionally)
sphenoid	middle cranial fossa	foramen spinosum	middle meningeal artery	meningeal branch of the mandibular nerve (V₃)
sphenoid	middle cranial fossa	foramen lacerum	internal carotid artery, artery of pterygoid canal	nerve of pterygoid canal
temporal	posterior cranial fossa	internal acoustic meatus	labyrinthine artery	facial nerve (VII), vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)
temporal	posterior cranial fossa	jugular foramen	inferior petrosal sinus, sigmoid sinus	glossopharyngeal nerve (IX), vagus nerve (X), accessory nerve (XI)
occipital	posterior cranial fossa	hypoglossal canal	-	hypoglossal nerve (XII)
occipital	posterior cranial fossa	foramen magnum	anterior and posterior spinal arteries, vertebral arteries	medulla oblongata
temporal	posterior cranial fossa	stylomastoid foramen	stylomastoid artery	facial nerve