Foramen ovale (skull)

Not to be confused with foramen ovale (heart).

Foramen ovale of Sphenoid
Sphenoid bone. Upper surface. (foramen ovale labeled at left, third from bottom)
Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities.
Details
Identifiers
Latin	foramen ovale ossis sphenoidalis
TA	A02.1.05.036
FMA	53155
*Anatomical terms of bone* [edit on Wikidata]

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 posterior part of the sphenoid bone, posterolateral to the foramen rotundum.

Structure

The foramen ovale is a foramen in the greater wing of the sphenoid bone. The foramen ovale is one of two cranial foramina in the greater wing, the other being the foramen spinosum. ^[1] ^:771 The foramen ovale is posterolateral to the foramen rotundum and anteromedial to the foramen spinosum. Posterior and medial to the foramen is the opening for the carotid canal.^[1] ^:776

Variation

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.^[2]
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 ovalia of humans. (Reymond et al.)^[3]

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.^[2]^[4]

Structures passing through

The following structures pass through foramen ovale:

Mandibular nerve.^[1] ^:775
Motor root of the trigeminal nerve.
Accessory meningeal artery (small meningeal or paradural branch, sometimes derived from the middle meningeal artery) .
Lesser petrosal nerve, a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve.^[1] ^:775
An Emissary vein connecting the cavernous sinus with the pterygoid plexus of veins.
Occasionally the anterior trunk of the middle meningeal vein

Additional images

Base of skull. Inferior surface.
Base of the skull. Upper surface.
Foramen ovale
Base of skull, inner surface with foramina labeled.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

1 2 3 4 Drake, Richard L.; Vogl, Wayne; Tibbitts, Adam W.M. Mitchell; illustrations by Richard; Richardson, Paul (2005). Gray's anatomy for students. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 978-0-8089-2306-0.
1 2 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.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.

External links

Anatomy photo:22:os-0904 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center
cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (IX)
Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-1 at Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, Elsevier
Adult skull as seen from beneath at uiuc.edu

The neurocranium of the skull

Occipital

Squamous part	external Inion/External occipital protuberance External occipital crest Nuchal lines planes Occipital Nuchal internal Cruciform eminence Internal occipital protuberance Sagittal sulcus Internal occipital crest Groove for transverse sinus

Lateral parts	Condyle Condyloid fossa Condylar canal Hypoglossal canal jugular Jugular process Jugular tubercle

Basilar part	Pharyngeal tubercle Clivus

Other	Foramen magnum Basion Opisthion

Parietal

Frontal

Squamous part	Frontal suture Frontal eminence external Superciliary arches Glabella foramina Supraorbital Cecum Zygomatic process internal Sagittal sulcus Frontal crest

Orbital part	Ethmoidal notch Fossa for lacrimal gland Trochlear fovea Frontal sinus Frontonasal duct

Temporal

Squamous part	Articular tubercle Suprameatal triangle Mandibular fossa Petrotympanic fissure Zygomatic process

Mastoid part	Mastoid foramen Mastoid process (Mastoid cells) Mastoid notch Occipital groove Sigmoid sulcus Mastoid antrum (Aditus)

Petrous part	Carotid canal Facial canal Hiatus Internal auditory meatus Cochlear aqueduct Stylomastoid foramen fossae Subarcuate fossa Jugular fossa canaliculi Inferior tympanic Mastoid Styloid process Petrosquamous suture (note: ossicles in petrous part, but not part of temporal bone)

Tympanic part	Suprameatal spine

Sphenoid

Surfaces	Superior surface: Sella turcica Dorsum sellae Tuberculum sellae Hypophysial fossa Posterior clinoid processes Ethmoidal spine Chiasmatic groove Middle clinoid process Petrosal process Clivus Lateral surface: Carotid groove Sphenoidal lingula Anterior surface: Sphenoidal sinuses

Great wings	foramina Rotundum Ovale Vesalii Spinosum Spine Infratemporal crest Sulcus of auditory tube

Small wings	Superior orbital fissure Anterior clinoid process Optic canal

Pterygoid processes	fossae Pterygoid Scaphoid pterygoid plates Lateral Medial Pterygoid canal Hamulus

Other	Body Sphenoidal conchae

Ethmoid

Plates	Cribriform plate Crista galli Olfactory foramina Perpendicular plate

Surfaces	Lateral surface Orbital lamina Uncinate process Medial surface Supreme nasal concha Superior nasal concha Superior meatus Middle nasal concha Middle meatus

Labyrinth	Ethmoid sinus ethmoidal foramina Posterior Anterior

Foramina of the skull (and canals, fissures, meatus, and hiatus)

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

other:	Inferior orbital fissure Fossa for lacrimal sac

Pterygopalatine fossa

to Nasal cavity:	sphenopalatine foramen

to Oral cavity:	greater palatine canal foramen lesser palatine canals foramina

to Infratemporal fossa:	pterygomaxillary fissure

to Nasopharynx:	palatovaginal canal

to oral cavity:	incisive canals incisive foramen

to nasal cavity:	Foramen vomerinum Meatus vomerinus Fissura vomerina Hiatus vomerinus

Other

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