Skull Landmarks: Cranial Fossae

Skull Landmarks: Cranial Fossae

• The cranial cavity floor is divided into three depressions: the anterior, middle, and posterior cranial fossae.
• Each fossa houses a specific part of the brain.
• The anterior cranial fossa is the shallowest and most superior.
• It sits above the nasal and orbital cavities.
• It accommodates the frontal lobe of the brain.
• The middle cranial fossa is centrally located, shaped like a butterfly.
• The middle part of this fossa houses the pituitary gland.
• The two lateral parts encase the temporal lobes.
• The posterior cranial fossa is the deepest and most posterior.
• It houses the brain stem and cerebellum.

Skull Bones and Landmarks

• The anterior cranial fossa involves the frontal, ethmoid, and sphenoid bones.
• The middle cranial fossa involves the sphenoid and temporal bones.
• The posterior cranial fossa involves the temporal and occipital bones.
• Specific foramina are also featured on the bones, such as the foramen lacerum, internal acoustic meatus, hypoglossal canal, foramen magnum, optic canal, superior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, foramen spinosum, foramen ovale, and jugular foramen.
• The cribriform plate, crista galli, and other specified landmarks are important.

YouTube Videos for Reference

• YouTube videos are available for further study regarding each cranial fossa (anterior, middle, and posterior). Specific links for these videos are listed in the provided materials.