The foramen spinosum is a small bony opening at the base of the skull
Anatomy
The foramen spinosum is located in the sphenoid bone and serves as a passage for the middle meningeal artery. The middle meningeal vein and the recurrent meningeal branch of the mandibular nerve also pass through it1. In humans, the foramen spinosum can be observed as early as 8 months after birth2.
Figure
Imaging
References
Krayenbühl, Niklaus, Gustavo Rassier Isolan, and Ossama Al-Mefty. "The foramen spinosum: a landmark in middle fossa surgery." Neurosurgical review 31.4 (2008): 397. ↩ ↩
Yanagi, S. "Developmental studies on the foramen rotundum, foramen ovale and foramen spinosum of the human sphenoid bone." The Hokkaido journal of medical science 62.3 (1987): 485-496. ↩ ↩