The Key Cranial Foramina and Their Contents

Question 1

What is the name of the largest foramen in the skull and where is it located?

Answer 1

Foramen Magnum

- located at the base of the skull

Question 2

Moving from the back to the front of the skull, what are the first 4 foramen found?

Answer 2

Foramen magnum
Hypoglossal canal
Jugular foramen
Internal acoustic meatus

Question 3

After the first 4, still moving from back to front of the skull, what are the next 5 foramen?

Answer 3

Carotid canal
Foramen spinosum
Foramen lacerum
Foramen Ovale
Foramen rotundum

Question 4

What are the two foramen in the orbit? (eye socket)

Answer 4

Superior orbital fissure (long-shaped hole)
Optic canal (small circular hole)

Question 5

What is the name of the plate found at the front of the skull?

Answer 5

Cribriform plate

Question 6

What are all the foramen in the skull moving from FRONT to BACK?

Answer 6

Cribriform plate
Optic canal
Superior orbital fissure
Foramen rotundum
Foramen ovale
Foramen lacerum (does not have a structure running through that we need to know)
Foramen spinosum
Carotid canal
Internal acoustic meatus
Jugular foramen
Hypoglossal canal 
Foramen magnum
Stylomastoid foramen (just lateral to jugular foramen)

Question 7

What structure passes through the cribriform plate?

Answer 7

Olfactory nerve fibres (CN I)

Question 8

What structures pass through the optic canal?

Answer 8

Optic nerve (CN II)
Ophthalmic artery

Question 9

What structures pass through the superior orbital fissure?

Answer 9

Oculomotor nerve (CN III)
Trochlear nerve (CN IV)
Ophthalmic branch of the Trigeminal nerve (CN V1)
Abducens nerve (CN VI)
Superior ophthalmic vein

Question 10

What structures pass through the foramen rotundum, foramen vale, foramen spinous and carotid canal?

Answer 10

Maxillary branch of the Trigeminal nerve (CN V2)
Mandibular branch of the Trigeminal nerve (CN V3)
Middle meningeal artery
Internal carotid artery

Question 11

What structures pass through the internal acoustic meatus?

Answer 11

Facial nerve (CN VII, entry to cranium)
Vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
Labyrinthine artery

Question 12

What structures pass through the jugular foramen?

Answer 12

Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) 
Vagus nerve (CN X)
Accessory nerve (CN XI)
Sigmoid sinus (which becomes the internal jugular vein)

Question 13

What structure passes through the hypoglossal canal?

Answer 13

Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)

Question 14

What structures pass through the foramen magnum?

Answer 14

Spinal fibres of accessory nerve (CN XI)
Inferior portion of the medulla
Vertebral arteries
Anterior and posterior spinal arteries

Question 15

What structure passes through the stylomastoid foramen?

Answer 15

Facial nerve (CN VII, exit from cranium)