List of foramina of the human body

From WikiMD.com Medical Encyclopedia

This page lists foramina found in the human body. Foramina (plural of foramen) are natural openings or holes in bones or tissues that allow the passage of nerves, blood vessels, and other structures.

Skull[edit | edit source]

The human skull contains numerous foramina that allow the passage of cranial nerves, arteries, veins, and other neurovascular structures. These openings are crucial for communication between the brain and the rest of the body.

Bone Cranial fossa Foramen Vessels Nerves
Frontal bone Supraorbital foramen Supraorbital artery, Supraorbital vein Supraorbital nerve
Frontal bone Anterior cranial fossa Foramen cecum Emissary veins to superior sagittal sinus
Ethmoid bone Foramina of cribriform plate Bundles of olfactory nerve (CN I)
Ethmoid bone Anterior cranial fossa Anterior ethmoidal foramen Anterior ethmoidal artery, Anterior ethmoidal vein Anterior ethmoidal nerve
Ethmoid bone Anterior cranial fossa Posterior ethmoidal foramen Posterior ethmoidal artery, Posterior ethmoidal vein Posterior ethmoidal nerve
Sphenoid bone Optic canal Ophthalmic artery Optic nerve (CN II)
Sphenoid bone Middle cranial fossa Superior orbital fissure Superior ophthalmic vein Oculomotor nerve (CN III), Trochlear nerve (CN IV), branches of Ophthalmic nerve (CN V1), Abducent nerve (CN VI)
Sphenoid bone Middle cranial fossa Foramen rotundum Maxillary nerve (CN V2)
Maxilla Incisive foramen / Incisive canal Sphenopalatine artery Nasopalatine nerve (CN V2)
Palatine bone Greater palatine foramen Greater palatine artery, Greater palatine vein Greater palatine nerve
Palatine bone and Maxilla Lesser palatine foramina Lesser palatine artery, Lesser palatine vein Lesser palatine nerve
Sphenoid bone and Maxilla Inferior orbital fissure Inferior ophthalmic vein, Infraorbital artery, Infraorbital vein Zygomatic nerve, Infraorbital nerve (branches of CN V2), orbital branches of Pterygopalatine ganglion
Maxilla Infraorbital foramen Infraorbital artery, Infraorbital vein Infraorbital nerve
Sphenoid bone Middle cranial fossa Foramen ovale Accessory meningeal artery Mandibular nerve (CN V3), Lesser petrosal nerve (occasionally)
Sphenoid bone Middle cranial fossa Foramen spinosum Middle meningeal artery Meningeal branch of mandibular nerve (CN V3)
Sphenoid bone Middle cranial fossa Foramen lacerum Artery of pterygoid canal Nerve of pterygoid canal
Temporal bone Posterior cranial fossa Internal acoustic meatus Labyrinthine artery Facial nerve (CN VII), Vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
Temporal bone Posterior cranial fossa Jugular foramen Internal jugular vein, Inferior petrosal sinus, Sigmoid sinus Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX), Vagus nerve (CN X), Accessory nerve (CN XI)
Occipital bone Posterior cranial fossa Hypoglossal canal Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
Occipital bone Posterior cranial fossa Foramen magnum Anterior and posterior spinal arteries, Vertebral arteries Medulla oblongata, spinal root of Accessory nerve (CN XI)
Temporal bone Posterior cranial fossa Stylomastoid foramen Stylomastoid artery Facial nerve (CN VII)
Labeled view of skull base showing major foramina

Spine[edit | edit source]

In the vertebral column, each vertebra has a pair of openings known as intervertebral foramina. These foramina are formed between adjacent vertebrae and allow the passage of spinal nerves, blood vessels, and other structures. The central opening in each vertebra is the vertebral foramen, which collectively form the vertebral canal housing the spinal cord.

Other Foramina[edit | edit source]

The human body contains many other significant foramina outside of the skull and spine, including:

See Also[edit | edit source]



Portions of content adapted from Wikipedia's article on List of foramina of the human body which is released under the CC BY-SA 3.0.

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