Foramen ovale (skull)

Information about Foramen ovale (skull)

Bone: Foramen ovale of Sphenoid
Sphenoid bone. Upper surface. (foramen ovale labeled at left, third from bottom)
Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities.
Latinforamen ovale ossis sphenoidalis
subject #35 150
Dorlands/Elsevier f_12/12373448
At the base of the skull the foramen ovale (Latin: oval window) is one of the larger of the several holes (the foramina) that transmit nerves through the skull. The foramen ovale is situated in the anterior part of the sphenoid bone, posteriolateral to the foramen rotundum.

Contents

Several nerves, arteries and veins pass through the foramen ovale. They are as follows: The contents of this foramen neatly form the acronym 'MALE'.

The otic ganglion is situated directly under the foramen, but is also transmitted through the foramen ovale.

Morphology and morphometry

Similar to other foramina, the foramen ovale differs in shape and size throughout the natural life. The earliest perfect ring-shaped formation of the foramen ovale was observed in the 7th fetal month and the latest in 3 years after birth, in a study using over 350 skulls.[1]
In a study conducted on 100 skulls, the foramen ovale was divided into 2 or 3 components in 4.5% of the cases. The borders of the foramen in some skulls were also irregular and rough. This may suggest, based on radiological images, the presence of morbid changes, which might be the sole anatomical variation in the foramina ovale of humans. (Reymond et al.)[2]

In newborn, the foramen ovale is about 3.85 mm and in the adults about 7.2 mm in length. The average maximal length is about 7.48 mm and its average minimal length is 4.17 mm in the adult. The width extends from 1.81 mm in the newborn to 3.7 mm in adults.[1] [4]

Additional images


Base of skull. Inferior surface.

Base of the skull. Upper surface.


References

1. ^ Yanagi S (1987). "Developmental studies on the foramen rotundum, foramen ovale and foramen spinosum of the human sphenoid bone". The Hokkaido Journal of Medical Science 62 (3): 485-96. PMID 3610040. 
2. ^ Reymond J, Charuta A, Wysocki J (2005). "The morphology and morphometry of the foramina of the greater wing of the human sphenoid bone". Folia Morphologica 64 (3): 188-93. PMID 16228954. 
3. ^ Yanagi S (1987). "Developmental studies on the foramen rotundum, foramen ovale and foramen spinosum of the human sphenoid bone". The Hokkaido Journal of Medical Science 62 (3): 485-96. PMID 3610040. 
4. ^ Lang J, Maier R, Schafhauser O (1984). "Postnatal enlargement of the foramina rotundum, ovale et spinosum and their topographical changes". Anatomischer Anzeiger 156 (5): 351-87. PMID 6486466. 

See also

External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
Human cranial bones
 •  • [ e]
occipital bone: Foramen magnum | Squama occipitalis (Inion | Nuchal lines | Planum occipitale | Planum nuchale | Internal occipital protuberance | Sagittal sulcus | Internal occipital crest) | Lateral parts (Hypoglossal canal | Condyloid fossa | Condyloid canal | Jugular process | Jugular tubercle) | Basilar part (Pharyngeal tubercle) parietal bone: Parietal eminence | Temporal line | Parietal foramen frontal bone: Squama frontalis (Frontal suture | Frontal eminence | Superciliary arches | Glabella | Supraorbital foramen | Zygomatic process | Sagittal sulcus | Frontal crest | Foramen cecum) | Pars orbitalis (Frontal sinus | Frontonasal duct) temporal bone: Squama temporalis (Articular tubercle | Suprameatal triangle | Mandibular fossa | Petrotympanic fissure) | Mastoid portion (Mastoid foramen | Mastoid process | Mastoid notch | Occipital groove | Sigmoid sulcus | Mastoid antrum) | Petrous portion (Hiatus of the facial canal | Internal auditory meatus | Subarcuate fossa | Carotid canal | Aqueduct of cochlea | Jugular fossa | Inferior tympanic canaliculus | Mastoid canaliculus | Styloid process | Stylomastoid foramen | Jugular foramen | Petrosquamous suture) | Tympanic part (Suprameatal spine) | Zygomatic process sphenoid bone: Sphenoidal sinuses | Ethmoidal spine | Optic foramen | Sella turcica | Fossa hypophyseos | Dorsum sellae | Posterior clinoid processes | Carotid groove | Lingula sphenoidalis | Sphenoidal conchæ | Great wings (Spina angularis | Foramen rotundum | Foramen ovale | Foramen Vesalii | Foramen spinosum | Infratemporal crest | Sulcus tubae auditivae | Small wings | Superior orbital fissure | Anterior clinoid process | Optic foramen) | Pterygoid processes (Pterygoid fossa | Scaphoid fossa | Lateral pterygoid plate | Medial pterygoid plate | Pterygoid hamulus | Sphenoidal conchæ | Sphenoidal sinuses) ethmoid bone: Cribriform plate | Crista galli | Perpendicular plate | Labyrinth | Ethmoid sinus | Uncinate process | Middle nasal concha | Superior meatus | Superior nasal concha | Middle meatus
Facial bones
maxilla: Incisive fossa | Maxillary sinus | Incisive fossa | Canine fossa | Infraorbital foramen | Anterior nasal spine | Alveolar canals | Orbitofrontal cortex | Infraorbital canal | Pterygopalatine canal | Zygomatic process | Agger nasi | Anterior lacrimal crest | Alveolar process | Incisive foramen | Incisive canals | Foramina of Scarpa | Premaxilla | Anterior nasal spine lacrimal bone: Posterior lacrimal crest zygomatic bone: Zygomaticofacial foramen | Zygomaticotemporal foramen | Zygomaticoörbital foramina palatine bone: Pterygopalatine fossa | Pterygoid fossa | Horizontal plate | Posterior nasal spine | Perpendicular plate | Pterygopalatine canal | Sphenopalatine foramen | Pyramidal process | Orbital process | Sphenoidal process mandible: Symphysis menti | Mental foramen | Mylohyoid line | Ramus mandibulae | Mandibular foramen | Mandibular canal others: nasal bone | inferior nasal conchae | vomer bone
composite structures
Cranial sutures: Coronal | Lambdoidal | Occipitomastoid | Parietomastoid | Sphenofrontal | Sphenoparietal |Sphenosquamosal | Sphenozygomatic |Squamosal | Zygomaticotemporal | Zygomaticofrontal | Frontal/Metopic | Sagittal | Frontoethmoidal | Petrosquamous | Sphenoethmoidal | Sphenopetrosal Asterion | Nasion | Pterion | Dacryon | Inferior orbital fissure
 •  • [ e]
Foramina of the skull (and canals and fissures)
Foraminacecum - ethmoidal (anterior, posterior) - incisive - jugular - lacerum - magnum - mandibular - mastoid - mental - optic - orbital (infraorbital, supraorbital) - ovale - palatine (greater, lesser) - parietal - rotundum - sphenopalatine - spinosum - stylomastoid - zygomaticofacial - zygomaticotemporal
Canalscarotid - condylar - hypoglossal - incisive - pterygoid
Fissuresorbital (inferior, superior) - petrotympanic
otherexternal acoustic meatus - internal acoustic meatus - cribriform plate
The sphenoid bone (from Greek sphenoeides, "wedgelike") is a bone situated at the base of the skull in front of the temporals and basilar part of the occipital bone.

The sphenoid bone somewhat resembles a butterfly or bat with its wings extended.
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Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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The base of the skull (lat. basis cranii) is the most inferior area of the skull.

Structures

Structures found at the base of the skull are for example:
  • Foramen magnum
  • Foramen ovale (skull)

Bones

  • Ethmoid bone
  • Sphenoid bone

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In anatomy, a foramen is any opening.

Examples

Skull

See Foramina of skull

Other

  • the apical foramen is the hole at the tip of the root of a tooth.
  • the foramen ovale (heart) is a hole between the venous and arterial sides of the fetal heart.

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The sphenoid bone (from Greek sphenoeides, "wedgelike") is a bone situated at the base of the skull in front of the temporals and basilar part of the occipital bone.

The sphenoid bone somewhat resembles a butterfly or bat with its wings extended.
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The foramen rotundum is a circular hole in the sphenoid bone that connects the middle cranial fossa and the pterygopalatine fossa.

Structure

The foramen rotundum is one of the several circular apertures (the foramina) located in the base of the skull, in the anterior and
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The mandibular nerve (V3) is the largest of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve.

Structure

Roots

It is made up of two roots:
  • a large sensory root proceeding from the inferior angle of the trigeminal ganglion.

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The trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve, also called the fifth nerve or simply V) is responsible for sensation in the face. It is similar to the spinal nerves C2–S5, which are responsible for sensation in the rest of the body.
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The accessory meningeal artery (also accessory branch of middle meningeal artery, pterygomeningeal artery, small meningeal or parvidural branch) is a branch of the maxillary artery, sometimes derived from the middle meningeal artery.
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The middle meningeal artery (Latin arteria meningea media) is typically the first branch of the first part (retromandibular part) of the maxillary artery; one of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery.
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The lesser petrosal nerve is a root of the otic ganglion. Its fibers are derived from the facial and glossopharyngeal nerve via tympanic plexus. Postsynaptic fibres leaving otic ganglion join auriculotemporal nerve and inervate the parotid gland.
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The foramen spinosum is one of several foramina located in the base of the skull, on the sphenoid bone, situated lateral to the foramen ovale, in a posterior angle.

Contents

It permits the passage of certain arteries, veins and/or other structures:

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The emissary veins are valveless veins which normally drain the intracranial venous sinuses to veins on the outside of the skull. However, because they are valveless, blood can flow into the skull through them as well, making them a possible route for transmission of extracranial
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The cavernous sinus (or lateral sellar compartment), within the human head, is a large collection of thin-walled veins creating a cavity bordered by the sphenoid bone and the temporal bone of the skull.
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The pterygoid plexus is of considerable size, and is situated between the Temporalis and Pterygoideus externus, and partly between the two pterygoid muscles.

Tributaries received

It receives tributaries corresponding with the branches of the maxillary artery.
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The otic ganglion is a small, ovalshaped, flattened parasympathetic ganglion of a reddish-gray color, located immediately below the foramen ovale.

Location and relations


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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 -
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The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, better known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center, is an academic medical center and is the only one of its kind in the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City.
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Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university, located in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood. Father John Carroll founded the school in 1789, though its roots extend back to 1634.
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996 by Scott Plantz and Richard Lavely, two medical doctors. It was sold to WebMD in January 2006.
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Public domain comprises the body of knowledge and innovation (especially creative works such as writing, art, music, and inventions) in relation to which no person or other legal entity can establish or maintain proprietary interests within a particular legal jurisdiction.
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Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (or Gray's Anatomy as it has commonly been shortened) is an English-language human anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on the subject.
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skull is normally made up of 22 bones. Except for the mandible, all of the bones of the skull are joined together by sutures, synarthrodial (immovable) joints formed by bony ossification, with Sharpey's fibres permitting some flexibility.
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The occipital bone, a saucer-shaped membrane bone situated at the back and lower part of the cranium, is trapezoid in shape and curved on itself. It is pierced by a large oval aperture, the foramen magnum, through which the cranial cavity communicates with the vertebral canal.
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In anatomy, in the occipital bone, the foramen magnum (Latin: 'great hole') is one of the several oval or circular apertures in the base of the skull (the foramina), through which the medulla oblongata (an extension of the spinal cord) enters and exits the skull vault.
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The squama of the occipital bone, situated above and behind the foramen magnum, is curved from above downward and from side to side.

External surface

The external surface
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The inion is the most prominent projection of the occipital bone at the lower rear part of the skull. The ligamentum nuchae and trapezius muscle attach to it.

The term external occipital protuberance (protuberantia occipitalis externa
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The nuchal lines are four curved lines on the external surface of the occipital bone:
  • The upper, often faintly marked, is named the highest nuchal line, and to it the galea aponeurotica is attached.

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