Cranial fossae Cranial nerves dissection HEAD

The Anterior, Middle and Posterior cranial fossae from above

1 Frontal sinus
2 Falx cerebri attached to crista
galli
3Olfactory bulb
4 Olfactory tract
5 Optic nerve (1)
6 Ophthalmic artery
7 Internal carotid artery
8 Diaphragma sellae
9 Infundibulum
10 Anterior clinoid process
11 Oculomotor nerve (110)
12 Basilar artery
23 13 Vertebral artery
24
14 Abducent nerve (V
15 Trochlear nerve (V
M 6
16 Trigeminal nerve
(V
17 Free margin of tentorium
9 A5 cerebelli
20 18 Medula oblongata
18 19 Facial nerve (VIl)
22
20 Vestibulochoclear nerve (VIll)
21 Sigmoid sinus
2
22 Spinal root of the accessory
nerve (XI)
23 Middle meningeal artery
26 24 Trigeminal ganglia
25 Transverse sinus
26 Straight sinus at junction of
falx cerebri and tentorium
cerebelli
27 Tentorium cerebeli
Anterior

eft Right

Posterior

Notes
The dural venous sinuses are the clefts between the outer (endosteal) and inner (meningeal) layers of the dura,
which elsewhere are firmly fused to each other. This is demonstrated in the opened transverse sinus (25) and
straight sinus (16).
This view of the oculomotor nerve (11) as it traverses the edge of the tentorium cerebelli to enter the
cavernous sinus demonstrates how it may be compressed at this point by the pressure of an extradural
haemorrhage. This accounts for an important localising sign in this injury dilatation of the pupil on the side of
the haematoma; the nerve supply to the constrictor fibres of the pupil are conveyed in this nerve.
The distal extremity of the medulla oblongata (18) is at the level of the superior margin of the foramen
magnum. The commencement of the spinal cord lies at the inferior margin of this foramen.