MAJOR FORAMENS AND STRUCTURES PASSING THROUGH THEM

Foramen
1 Supraorbital Foramen or notch

Structures passing through

1) Supraorbital branch of Ophthalmic division of Trigeminal nerve(V1) 2) Supraorbital Vessels 1) Infraorbital branch of maxillary division of Trigeminal nerve (V2) 2) Infraorbital Vessels 1) Mental branch of Mandibular division of Trigeminal nerve (V3) 2) Mental Vessels Parietal Emissary Vein 1. Zygomaticofacial nerve branch of Maxillary division of Trigeminal nerve 2. Zygomaticofacial vessels 1) Zygomaticotemporal nerve branch of maxillary division of Trigeminal nerve (V2) 2) Zygomaticotemporal Vessels Nothing ( Air and Sound Waves ) Mastoid Emissary Vein 1) Greater Palatine Nerves & Vessels 2) Nasopalatine nerve(Branch of maxillary division of Trigeminal Nerve [V2]) 3) Sphenopalatine artery 2) Greater Palatine Nerve(Branch of maxillary division of Trigeminal Nerve [V2]) & vessels Lesser Palatine Nerve &vessels Pharyngeal branch of sphenopalatine artery 1) Pharyngeal branch of pterygopalatine ganglion 2) Pharyngeal branch of maxillary artery 1) Nerve of Pterygoid Canal (formed by merging of Greater and Deep petrosal nerves) 2) Artery of Pterygoid Canal Structures may pass through it: 1) Emissary vein 2) Meningeal branch of ascending pharyngeal art. Structures overlying the cartilage covering the foramen: 1) Internal Carotid Artery

Infraorbital Foramen

3 4 5

Mental Foramen Parietal Foramen Zygomaticofacial Foramen

6 7 8

Zygomaticotemporal Foramen External auditory meatus Mastoid Foramen

Incisive Foramen

10 Greater Palatine Foramen 11 Lesser Palatine Foramina 12 Vomerovaginal Canal 13 Palatovaginal Canal 14 Pterygoid Canal

15 Foramen Lacerum

2) Greater Petrosal Nerve 3) Nerve of pterygoid canal 16 Sphenoid Emissary Foramen (FORAMEN OF VESALIUS) Emissary vein connecting the pterygoid venous plexus and cavernous sinus 1) Mandibular division of Trigeminal Nerve (V3) 2) Accessory Meningeal Artery(from maxillary artery) 3) Lesser Petrosal Nerve 4) Emissary Vein 1) Middle Meningeal Artery 2) Nervus Spinosum or meningeal branch of V3) Chorda Tympani branch of Facial nerve/CN VII 1) Internal Carotid Artery 2) Sympathetic Plexus 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Internal Jugular Vein IX, X & XI Cranial nerves Inferior petrosal sinus Meningeal branch of Vagus nerve Meningeal branch of occipital artery

17 Foramen Ovale

18 Foramen Spinosum Petrotympanic 19 Fissure/Squamotympanic Fissure 20 Carotid Canal

21 Jugular Foramen

22 Stylomastoid Foramen 23 Hypoglossal Canal

1) Facial nerve (VII CN) 2) Stylomastoid branch of posterior auricular artery 1) 2) 3) 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Hypoglossal nerve (XII) Meningeal branch of ascending pharyngeal artery Emissary vein Lower medulla with covering meninges (PAD) & denticulate ligament Anterior and posterior spinal arteries Vertebral arteries Spinal root of Accessory Nerve (XI CN) Meningeal branch of upper cervical spinal nerves Apical ligament Tectorial membrane

24 Foramen Magnum

25 Condylar Canal 26 Pterygomaxillary Fissure 27 Sphenopalatine Foramen

Emissary Vein 1) Posterior Superior Alveolar nerve & vessels. 3) Maxillary artery 1) Nasopalatine Nerve 2) Sphenopalatine Artery 3) Posterior Superior Nasal nerves & vessels 1) Maxillary nerve 2) Zygomatic nerve 1) Orbital nerve 2) Infraorbital vessels

28 Inferior Orbital Fissure

3) Inferior ophthalmic vein

29 Foramen Caecum 30 Foramina in Cribriform plate of ethmoid

Emissary vein Olfactory nerves (I CN) 1) Anterior Ethmoidal Vessels (branches of ophthalmic artery) 2) Anterior Ethmoidal Nerves (branches of V2) 1) Posterior Ethmoidal Vessels (branches of ophthalmic artery) 2) Posterior Ethmoidal Nerves (branches of V1) Anterior ethmoidal nerves (branches of Ophthalmic division of Trigeminal nerve) 1) Optic Nerve (II CN) 2) Ophthalmic artery (from internal carotid artery) III, IV & VI C.N. V1 (lacrimal, frontal & nasociliary nerves)

31 Anterior Ethmoidal Foramina

32 Posterior Ethmoidal Foramina

33 Nasal Slit 34 Optic canal

35 Superior Orbital Fissure

Superior ophthalmic vein Orbital branch of middle meningeal artery Recurrent branch of Lacrimal artery

36 Foramen Rotundum 37 Hiatus of Greater Petrosal Nerve 38 Hiatus of Lesser Petrosal Nerve

Maxillary division of Trigeminal nerve (V2) Greater Petrosal Nerve branch of VII CN Lesser Petrosal Nerve branch of tympanic plexus 1) 2) 3) 4) Motor division of the facial nerve (VII) Nervous Intermedius of the facial nerve Vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII CN) Labyrinthine artery

39 Internal Auditory Meatus

40 Mandibular Foramen

Inferior alveolar nerve and vessels

42

Posterior Superior Alveolar Foramen

Posterior Superior Alveolar nerve (branch of maxillary nerve) and vessels