Skull Base: Anatomy

From the DentTest dentistry textbook, with 69 practice questions. Last updated 6 August 2026.

Cranial foramina

These are opening in the skull base that transmit cranial nerves and major blood vessels between the brain and the face, orbit and neck. Below is a table summarising each foramina, its location within the cranial fossae and the structures that it transmits.

Foramen	Cranial fossa	Structures transmitted
Cribriform plate	Anterior	Olfactory nerve Anterior ethmoidal nerves
Optic canal	Middle	Optic nerve Ophthalmic artery
Superior orbital fissure	Middle	Oculomotor nerve Trochlear nerve Abducens nerve Ophthalmic nerve branches (frontal, lacrimal and nasociliary) Superior ophthalmic vein +/- inferior ophthalmic vein Recurrent meningeal artery
Foramen rotundum	Middle	Maxillary division of trigeminal nerve
Foramen ovale	Middle	Mandibular division of trigeminal nerve Accessory meningeal artery Lesser petrosal nerve Emissary veins
Foramen spinosum	Middle	Middle meningeal artery Middle meningeal vein Meningeal branch of mandibular division of trigeminal nerve
Internal acoustic meatus	Posterior	Facial nerve Vestibulocochlear nerve Labyrinthine artery Vestibular ganglion
Jugular foramen	Posterior	Glossopharyngeal nerve Vagus nerve Accessory nerve Inferior petrosal sinus Sigmoid sinus Jugular bulb
Hypoglossal canal	Posterior	Hypoglossal nerve
Foramen mangum	Posterior	Spinal root of accessory nerve Vertebral arteries Anterior spinal artery Posterior spinal artery Dural veins Medulla and associated meninges

Anterior cranial fossa

This is the most shallow fossa, housing the frontal lobes of the brain and formed primarily by the frontal bone, ethmoid bone and lesser wings of sphenoid. The cranial foramen located here is the cribriform plate.