7/30/2019 Table 2 for Amina of Skull

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Table 2 Foramina of the Skull and Their Contents

By Dr. Noura Osman., 29-11-2009

Foramen Location on Skull Bone(s) Location on Bone Contents

Parietal Anterior to lambda on

either side of sagittal

suture

Parietal On superior aspect near

the sagittal suture

Emissary vein to superior

sagittal sinus, sometimes a

branch of the occipital artery

Pharyngeal

canal

External base of skull;

medial to medial

pterygoid plate

Sphenoid and

palatine

Between the vaginal

process of the sphenoid

and the sphenoid

process of the palatine

Pharyngeal nerve,

pharyngeal artery

Posterior

ethmoidal

Medial wall of orbit Frontal and

ethmoidal

Fronto-ethmoidal suture,

posterior to the anterior

ethmoidal foramen

Posterior ethmoidal nerve

and vessels (when present)

Posterosuperior

alveolar

Anterior to the

pterygomaxillary fissure

Maxilla Infratemporal surface

and maxillary tuberosity

Posterosuperior alveolar

nerves and vessels

Pterygoid canal

(vidian canal)

Extends from foramen

lacerum to pterygopalatine

fossa

Sphenoid Body of sphenoid just

above the pterygoid

processes

Nerve and vessels of the

pterygoid canal (vidian nerve

and vessel)

Rotundum Middle cranial fossa Sphenoid Greater wing Maxillary branch of the

trigeminal nerve

Sphenopalatine Medial wall of

pterygopalatine fossa

Sphenoid and

palatine

Between sphenoidal and

orbital processes

Sphenopalatine artery and

posterior superior nasal brs.

(nasopalatine) nerves

Spinosum Middle cranial fossa Sphenoid Spine of the sphenoid Middle meningeal vessels

and recurrent meningealbranch of mandibular

division of cranial nerve V

Stylomastoid Between styloid and

mastoid processes

Temporal Posterior to the base of

the styloid process

Facial nerve, stylomastoid

vessels

Superior orbital

fissure

Postero superior aspect of

orbit

Sphenoid and

frontal

Between roof and lateral

wall, lateral to apex

Cranial nerves III, IV, VI,

ophthalmic division of V;

sympathetic fibers; branches

of middle meningeal artery;

recurrent branch of lacrimal

artery; superior ophthalmic

vein

Supraorbital Superior rim of orbit Frontal Below superciliary arch Supraorbital nerve andvessels

Zygomaticofaci

al

Lateral to the inferolateral

angle of the orbital rim

Zygoma Malar surface, above the

origin of zygomaticus

major muscle

Zygomaticofacial nerve and

vessels

Zygomatico-

orbital

Anterior floor of orbit Zygoma Orbital surface Zygomaticofacial and

zygomaticotemporal nerves

and vessels

Zygomaticotem

poral

Temporal fossa Zygoma Temporal surface Zygomaticotemporal nerve

and vessels