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ANATOMY1: Osteology > Cranial cavity > Flashcards

Cranial cavity Flashcards

1
Q

What is housed in the cranial cavity?

A

brain, cerebral vessels, meninges, meningeal vessels, intracranial portions of cranial nerves

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2
Q

What can the base of the cranial cavity be divided into for descriptive purposes?

A

three fossae: anterior, middle and posterior

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3
Q

What are the limits of the anterior cranial fossa?

A

front and laterally by the frontal bone, posteriorly by the lesser wing of the sphenoid

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4
Q

What 3 bone parts form the floor of the anterior cranial fossa?

A
  1. orbital plate of the frontal bone
  2. cribriform plate of the ethmoid (with a median crest-like ridge, the crista galli)
  3. lesser wings and anterior part of the body (jugum) of the sphenoid
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5
Q

What attaches ot the crista galli of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone?

A

anterior attachment of the falx cerebri

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6
Q

What is transmitted within the perforations of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone?

A

olfactory nerves

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7
Q

What does the orbital plate of the frontal bone separate?

A

orbit below from the frontal lobes of the cerebral hemispheres above

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8
Q

What are the anterior clinoid processes?

A

posterior projections from the lesser wings of the sphenoid, that overhang the middle cranial fossa and give attachment to the free edge of the tentorium cerebelli

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9
Q

What attaches to the anterior clinoid processes?

A

free edge of the tentorium cerebelli

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10
Q

How does the middle cranial fossa lie in relation to the anterior and posterior cranial fossae?

A

lies at a lower plane than the anterior cranial fossa but higher than the posterior cranial fossa

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11
Q

What is the shape of the middle cranial fossa?

A

floor shaped like a butterfly, with narrow central or median part and expanded lateral parts

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12
Q

What are the boundaries of the middle cranial fossa anteriorly, laterally and posteriorly?

A
  • anteriorly: posterior free edge of the lesser wing of the sphenoid, anterior clinoid processes and anterior margin of the sulcus chiasmaticus
  • laterally: squamous part of the temporal bone
  • posteriorly: extends to the superior borders of the petrous temporal bones and dorsum sellae of the sphenoid
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13
Q

What is another name for the pituitary fossa?

A

hypophyseal fossa

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14
Q

What is the pituitary fossa?

A

indentation in the roof of the body of the sphenoid bone in the middle cranial fossa

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15
Q

What are the bony borders of the hypophyseal fossa?

A
  • anteriorly: tuberculum sellae, in front of which lies the sulcus chiasmatica
  • posteriorly: dorsum sellae, ridge of bone at either end of which lies the posterior clinoid processes
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16
Q

What is housed by the hypophyseal fossa?

A

pituitary gland (or hypophysis cerebri)

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17
Q

What connects the pituitary gland to the brain?

A

thin stalk called tuber cinereum

18
Q

What is the roof of the pituitary fossa?

A

sheet of dura mater, the diaphragma sella, which is attached in front to the tuberculum and behind to the dorsum sellae

19
Q

What are important lateral relations to the pituitary fossa?

A

right and left cavernous sinuses

20
Q

What are 10 important features on the floor of the middle cranial fossa?

A
  1. Sulcus chiasmaticus
  2. Sella turcica (Turkish saddle)
  3. Optic canal
  4. Superior orbital fissure
  5. Foramen rotundum
  6. Foramen ovale
  7. Foramen spinosum
  8. Foramen lacerum
  9. Trigeminal impression
  10. Tegmen tympani and arcuate eminence
21
Q

What is the location of the sulcus chiasmaticus within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

between the two optic canals anterior to tuberculum sella

22
Q

What is the relevance of the sulcus chiasmaticus (feature of the middle cranial fossa floor)?

A

Optic chiasma rarely lies in contact with this region

23
Q

What is the position of the sella turcica (Turkish saddle) within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

central part of the sphenoid body between the two cavernous sinuses

24
Q

What is the relevance of the sella turcica?

A

central hollow, the hypophyseal fossa, houses the pituitary gland. Anterior and posterior clinoid processes give attachment to the free and attached margins of the tentorium cerebelli

25
Q

What is the location of the optic canal within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

between the two roots of the lesser wing of the sphenoid

26
Q

What is the relevance of the optic canal?

A

transmits the optic nerve, ophthalmic artery, sympathetic nerves and meningeal coverings

27
Q

What is the location of the superior orbital fissure within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

between the lesser and greater wings of hte sphenoid. Lies at the apex of the cavernous sinus

28
Q

What is the relevance of the superior orbital fissure?

A

transmits trochlear, abducent and oculomotor nerves and terminal branches of the ophthalmic nerve

29
Q

What is the location of the foramen rotundum within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

pierces the greater wing of the sphenoid

30
Q

What passes through the foramen rotundum? 2 things

A
  1. maxillary nerve V2
  2. small veins from cavernous sinus
31
Q

What is the location of the foramen ovale within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

pierces the greater wing of the sphenoid

32
Q

What passes through the foramen ovale? 4 things

A
  1. Mandibular nerve V3
  2. Accessory meningeal artery
  3. Lesser petrosal nerve (occasionally)
  4. Emissary vein

MALE = mnemonic

33
Q

What is the location of the foramen spinosum within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

posterolateral to foramen ovale

34
Q

What 3 things pass through the foramen spinosum?

A
  1. Middle meningeal artery
  2. Middle meningeal vein
  3. Meningeal branch of the mandibular nerve V3
35
Q

What is the location of the foramen lacerum within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

apex of petrous temporal bone

36
Q

What are 3 key things transmitted through the foramen lacerum?

A
  1. internal carotid artery - transmitted through upper end of foramen, before entering cavernous sinus
  2. sympathetic nerves
  3. small plexus of veins
37
Q

What covers the lower end of the foramen lacerum and what pierces this?

A

connective tissue, pierced only by small branches of the ascending pharyngeal artery

38
Q

What is the location of the trigeminal impression within the middle cranial fossa floor?

A

anterior surface of petrous temporal bone behind the foramen lacerum

39
Q

What is the relevance of the trigeminal impression on the floor of the middle cranial fossa?

A

occupied by the trigeminal ganglion in the trigeminal cave

joined on the lateral aspects by grooves for the greater and lesser petrosal nerves

40
Q

What is the location of the tegmen tympani?

A

tegmen is a thin plate of temporal bone over the middle ear cavity

thin plate of the petrous part of the temporal bone that separates the intracranial compartment and middle ear

41
Q

What is the location of the arcuate eminence?

A

Produced by the semicircular canal in the petrous temporal bone

42
Q

What is the relevance of tegmen tympani and the arcuate eminence?

A

infections in the middle ear may spread through the thin plate of bone to the middle cranial fossa and temporal lobe of the brain

ANATOMY1: Osteology (4 decks)

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