Foramina of the 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

List of foramina

bone	location	foramen	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 inferior ophthalmic vein	oculomotor nerve (III) trochlear nerve (IV) lacrimal, frontal and nasociliary branches of ophthalmic nerve (V1) abducens nerve (VI)
sphenoid	middle cranial fossa	foramen rotundum	-	maxillary nerve (V2)
maxilla	-	incisive foramen/incisive canals	-	nasopalatine nerve
palatine	-	greater palatine foramen	-	greater palatine nerve
palatine and maxilla	-	lesser palatine foramina	-	lesser palatine nerve
palatine 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
sphenoid	-	pterygoid canal	artery of the pterygoid canal	nerve of pterygoid canal
sphenoid and palatine	-	sphenopalatine foramen	sphenopalatine artery	-
sphenoid, temporal, and occipital	middle cranial fossa	foramen lacerum (or carotid canal)	internal carotid artery	internal carotid nerve plexus
temporal	posterior cranial fossa	internal acoustic meatus	labyrinthine artery	facial nerve (VII) vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)
temporal	-	stylomastoid foramen	stylomastoid artery	facial nerve
temporal	-	mastoid foramen	emissary vein	-
temporal	-	petrotympanic fissure	-	chorda tympani
occipital and temporal	posterior cranial fossa	jugular foramen	posterior meningeal artery ascending pharyngeal artery inferior petrosal sinus sigmoid sinus internal jugular vein	glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) vagus nerve (X) accessory nerve (XI)
occipital	-	hypoglossal canal	-	hypoglossal nerve (XII)
occipital	-	condylar canal	occipital emissary vein	-
occipital	posterior cranial fossa	foramen magnum	vertebral arteries meningeal branches of vertebral arteries	medulla oblongata spinal roots of accessory nerves
parietal	-	parietal foramen	emissary vein	-
mandible	-	mental foramen	mental artery mental vein	mental nerve
mandible	-	mandibular foramen	inferior alveolar artery inferior alveolar vein	inferior alveolar nerve
zygomatic	-	zygomaticofacial foramen	-	zygomaticofacial nerve
zygomatic	-	zygomaticotemporal foramen	-	zygomaticotemporal nerve

Base of skull

Upper surface

Inferior surface

External links

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

v • d • e Foramina of the skull (and canals, fissures, meati, and hiati)
Anterior cranial fossa	to Orbit: ethmoidal foramina (anterior, posterior) to Nasal cavity: olfactory foramina (CN-I) - foramen cecum
Middle cranial fossa	to Orbit: optic canal (CN-II) - superior orbital fissure (CN-III,IV,V1,VI) to Pterygopalatine fossa: foramen rotundum (CN-V2) - pterygoid canal to Infratemporal fossa: foramen ovale (CN-V3) - foramen spinosum/carotid canal other: foramen lacerum - hiatus for greater petrosal nerve - hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve - sphenoidal emissary foramen
Posterior cranial fossa	internal auditory meatus/facial canal/stylomastoid foramen (CN-VII,VIII) - jugular foramen (CN-IX,X,XI) - foramen magnum (CN-XI) - hypoglossal canal (CN-XII) - condylar canal - mastoid foramen
Orbit	to Nasal cavity: nasolacrimal canal to Face: supraorbital (notch, foramen) - infraorbital (foramen, groove) - zygomatic foramen (-facial, -temporal) to Pterygopalatine fossa: inferior orbital fissure
Pterygopalatine fossa	to Nasal cavity: sphenopalatine foramen to Oral cavity: greater palatine canal/greater palatine foramen - lesser palatine canals/lesser palatine foramina to Infratemporal fossa: pterygomaxillary fissure to Nasopharynx: palatovaginal canal
Nasal cavity	to Oral cavity: incisive canals - incisive foramen
Other	external acoustic meatus - mandibular foramen - mental foramen - parietal foramen - petrotympanic fissure - semilunar hiatus