Foramina of skull

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The following is a list of holes, or foramina, in the base of the skull and what goes through each of them. Arranged from anterior to posterior:

Contents

List of foramina

bone	fossa	foramen	vessels	nerves
-	supraorbital foramen	-	supraorbital nerve
anterior	foramen caecum	emissary veins to superior sagittal sinus	-
-	foramina of cribriform plate	-	olfactory nerve bundles
anterior	posterior ethmoidal foramen	posterior ethmoidal artery posterior ethmoidal vein	posterior ethmoidal nerve
-	optic canal	ophthalmic artery	optic nerve (II)
middle	superior orbital fissure	superior ophthalmic vein	oculomotor nerve (III) trochlear nerve (IV) lacrimal, frontal and nasociliary branches of ophthalmic nerve (V₁) abducens nerve (VI)
-	inferior orbital fissure	-	zygomatic nerve
middle	foramen rotundum	-	maxillary nerve (V₂)
middle	foramen ovale	accessory meningeal artery	mandibular nerve (V₃) lesser petrosal nerve (occasionally)
middle	foramen spinosum	middle meningeal artery	nervus spinosus
middle	foramen lacerum (or carotid canal)	internal carotid artery	internal carotid nerve plexus
posterior	internal acoustic meatus	labyrinthine artery	facial nerve (VII) vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)
-	stylomastoid foramen	stylomastoid artery	facial nerve
posterior	jugular foramen	inferior petrosal sinus sigmoid sinus posterior meningeal artery internal jugular vein	glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) vagus nerve (X) accessory nerve (XI)
-	hypoglossal canal	-	hypoglossal nerve (XII)
posterior	foramen magnum	vertebral arteries meningeal branches of vertebral arteries	medulla oblongata spinal roots of accessory nerves

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