Cranial Fossa

Question 1

what fossa are found on the floor of the cranial cavity?

Answer 1

anterior cranial fossa
middle cranial fossa
posterior cranial fossa

Question 2

the superior cranial fossa accomodates what part of the brain?

Answer 2

anteroinferior portions of frontal lobes

Question 3

what are the boundaries of the anterior cranial fossa?
* anterior and lateral?
* posterior and medial?
* posterior and lateral?
* the floor?

Answer 3

• anterior and lateral - inner frontal bone
• posterior and medial - limbus of sphenoid bone
• posterior and lateral - lesser wings of sphenoid bone
• the floor - frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid

Question 4

the lesser wings of the sphenoid bone act as a point of attachment for what?

Answer 4

tentorium cerebelli

Question 5

the cribriform plate is found in the anterior cranial fossa - what doe it contain?

Answer 5

numerous foramina that transmit olfactory nerve fibres into the nasal cavity, inc:
* anterior ethmoidal foramen
* posterior ethmoidal foramen

Question 6

what is the most likely part of the anteiror cranial fossa to fracture?

Answer 6

cribriform plate

Question 7

Label the bony landmarks of the anterior cranial fossa

Answer 7

Question 8

the middle cranial fossa accomodates which parts of the brain?

Answer 8

pituitary gland
temporal lobes

Question 9

what are the boundaries of the middle cranial fossa?
* anterior and lateral?
* anterior and medial?
* posterior and medial?
* posterior and lateral?
* the floor?

Answer 9

• anterior and lateral - lesser wings of sphenoid
• anterior and medial - limbus of sphenoid
• posterior and lateral - superior border of petrous part of temporal bone
• posterior and medial - dorsum sellae of sphenoid bone
• the floor - body and greater wing of sphenoid, squamous and petrous temporal

Question 10

sella turcica

Answer 10

saddle-shaped bony prominence of sphenoid bone, that holds the pituitary gland

Question 11

Label the landmarks of the middle cranial fossa

Answer 11

Question 12

what are the boundaries of the posterior cranial fossa?

Answer 12

anteromedial - dorsum sellae
anterolateral - petrous part of temporal bone
posterior - squamous part of occipital bone
floor - mastoid part of temporal bone

Question 13

what are the contents of the posterior cranial fossa?

Answer 13

brainstem and cerebellum

Question 14

pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 14

cone-shaped depression extending from infratemporal fossa to the nasal cavity

Question 15

what are the borders of the pterygopalatine fossa?
* anterior
* posterior
* inferior
* superior
* medial
* lateral

Answer 15

• anterior - maxillary sinus
• posterior - pterygoid process of sphenoid
• inferior - palatine bone
• superior - inferior orbital fissure
• medial - perpendicular plate of palatine
• lateral - pterygomaxillary fissure

Question 15

what does the pterygopalatine fossa contain?

Answer 15

• maxillary nerve
• pterygopalatine ganglion
• maxillary artery

Question 16

where is the infratemporal fossa located?

Answer 16

base of the skull, deep to masseter muscle

Question 17

what are the borders of the infratemporal fossa?
* lateral
* medial
* anterior
* posterior
* roof
* floor

Answer 17

• lateral - mandible bone
• medial - lateral pterygoid plate
• anterior - posterior border of maxillary sinus
• posterior - carotid sheath
• roof - greater wing of sphenoid
• floor- medial pterygoid muscle

Question 18

what does the infratemporal fossa contain?

Answer 18

muscles of mastication

Question 19

what are the borders of the temporal fossa?
* superior and posterior
* anterior
* inferior
* lateral

Answer 19

• superior and posterior - superior temporal line
• anterior - frontal process of zygomatic bone, zygomatic process of frontal bone
• inferior - zygomatic arch. greater wing of sphenoid
• lateral - temporal fascia, zygomatic arch

Question 20

what are the contents of the temporal fossa?

Answer 20

• temporalis muscle and associated arteries and nerves

Question 21

Label the infratemporal fossa

Answer 21

Question 22

Label the posterior Cranial fossa

Answer 22

Question 23

LabEl the temporal fossa

Answer 23