Department of Anatomy, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat
*Corresponding author: Dr. Binita B Raval, Senior resident, Department of Anatomy, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad. Email address- purohitbinita@gmail.com
Greater wing of sphenoid presents various foramina. Foramen ovale and foramen spinosum are amongst them transmitting important blood vessels and nerves.
To conduct morphological and morphometrical study of foramen ovale and foramen spinosum in dry adult human skulls in the Gujarat region.
150 dry adult human skulls were studied in the Gujarat region with regard to observe their size, shape, presence or absence and any duplication/multiplications of foramen ovale and foramen spinosum. Appropriate statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Out of 150 observed, foramen ovale and foramen spinosum were present in all skulls studied. Foramen ovale was not duplicated in any of skulls studied, while duplication of foramen spinosum was observed in six skulls. The mean maximum dimension of foramen ovale was 7.53±1.75 mm on right side and 7.41±1.53 mm on left side. The same measurement of foramen spinosum was 2.49±0.60 mm on right side and 2.55±0.70 mm on left side. Foramen ovale was oval in 229(76.5%), irregular in 40(13.5%), almond in 22(7.5%), round in 5(1.5%), and triangular in 4(1%) of total three hundred foramina ovale examined. Foramen spinosum was round in 252(84)%, oval in 13(4%) and irregular in 35(12%) of total foramina studied.
Foramen ovale and foramen spinosum in the Gujarat region showed variability in size and shape. As these foramina allow passage of important blood vessels and nerves, this study can be of great surgical importance to clinicians in invasive procedures such as percutaneous trigeminal rizotomy in trigeminal neuralgia.
Foramen ovale, foramen spinosum, morphology, morphometry, skull
