The foramen spinosum is a small round opening in the greater wing of the sphenoid, posterolateral to the foramen ovale and just in front of the sphenoid spine. It transmits the middle meningeal artery and vein and the meningeal branch of the mandibular nerve.
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| Landmarks |
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| Ossification | Forms in the greater wing of the sphenoid around the middle meningeal artery; it is often incomplete at birth and becomes fully ringed in early childhood. |
The foramen spinosum is the entry point of the middle meningeal artery into the skull, whose branches are torn in extradural haematoma after fractures near the pterion. Surgeons identify it during skull base approaches to coagulate the artery, and it is a landmark for finding the foramen ovale.
Tearing of the middle meningeal artery, which enters the skull through the foramen spinosum, after a temporal skull fracture causes bleeding between the skull and dura, often after a lucid interval.
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