The falx cerebri is a sickle-shaped fold of the inner layer of dura mater that hangs down in the midline between the two cerebral hemispheres. Its upper border is attached to the inside of the skull from the crista galli to the internal occipital protuberance and encloses the superior sagittal sinus. Its lower edge is free, arches above the corpus callosum, and contains the inferior sagittal sinus; at the back it joins the tentorium cerebelli.
| Location | Midline of the cranial cavity, in the longitudinal fissure between the cerebral hemispheres |
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| Parts |
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| Connections |
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| Blood Supply | Anterior falcine artery (from the anterior ethmoidal artery); Branches of the middle meningeal artery |
Partly separates the two cerebral hemispheres, limits their side-to-side movement, and carries the superior and inferior sagittal sinuses.
The falx cerebri is a frequent site of meningioma (falcine meningioma), which presents as a bilateral parasagittal or interhemispheric mass compressing the medial frontal lobes and causing lower limb weakness. Subfalcine herniation occurs when unilateral cerebral swelling or haematoma pushes the cingulate gyrus under the free lower edge of the falx, compressing the anterior cerebral artery and producing contralateral leg weakness. The superior sagittal sinus within the falx is the primary dural venous outflow and its thrombosis produces venous infarction with haemorrhage.
Mass effect from cerebral oedema or haematoma pushes the ipsilateral cingulate gyrus under the free lower edge of the falx cerebri, compressing the ACA against the falcine edge and producing contralateral leg weakness; CT demonstrates midline shift with the cingulate gyrus crossing below the falcine attachment line.
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