Cranial cavity

The Intracranial
region
Cranial Cavity
• The space within the clavaria is known
as cranial cavity.
• It contains:
1. Brain
2. Meninges
3. Intracranial portions of cranial & spinal
nerves
4. Blood vessels
5. Cerebrospinal fluid
6. Cranial venus sinuses
 Divided into
roof & floor.
Roof is made
by
CLAVARIA
Floor is
made by 3
Cranail
Fossae

Division of cranial cavity

ROOF:Clavaria
• Comprises of:
1. Frontal bone
2. Paired Parietal bones
3. Occipital bone
• Sutures Visible:
1. Coronal Suture
2. Sagittal Suture
3. Lambdoid suture
• Visible junctions
of these sutures:
1. Bregma
2. Lambda
Features of roof of the cranial
cavity
• From anterior to
posterior
1. Frontal Crest
2. Groove for the
superior sagittal
sinus
3. Granular foveolae
4. Grooves for
meningeal
vessels.
FLOOR: Divided into anterior , middle &
posterior cranial fossa.
 Fossa are depressions or cavities in the skull.
Bones forming the floor
Anterior Cranial Fossa
• Formed by:
1. Frontal
bone=Anterior
& lateral
direction
2. Ethmoid
Bone=Midline
3. Sphenoid
Bone=Body &
lesserwing
posteriorly
Frontal Bone(Frons-forehead)
• Major contnets
1. Frontal Crest
2. Foramen Cecum
3. Orbital part of frontal
bone.
4. Groove for anterior
meningeal vessels.
 Ethmoid Bone( A sieve)
• Major contents:
1. Crista galli: (Cock’s
comb)
• Its base joins the
cribriformplate
• ATTACHMENT:
 Falx Cerebri

2. Cribriform plate:
• STRUCTURE
PASSING:
 Allows olfactory
nerve fibers to pass
through its foramina.
Cribriform Plate
 Sphenoid Bone (Lesser wing)
 Border b/w anterior &
middle cranail fossa
 Medially lesser wing
widens to form
anterior clinoid
process
 Attachment on anterior
clinoid process:
-Tentorium cerebelli
 Anterior to clinoid
process OPTIC
CANAL is present.
 Foramen of Anterior cranial fossa
 Foramen Caecum=
Emissary vein to superior
sagittal sinus
 Olfactory foramina in
cribriform plate =
Olfactory nerve(CN I)
 Optic Canal= Optic
nerve(CN II) & Opthalmic
artery
Middle Cranial Fossa
Boundaries:
 Anterior-lesser
wing & body of
sphenoid
 Posterior-superior
border of petrous
part of temporal
bone & dorsum sella
of sphenoid
 Laterally-
squamous part of
temporal bone ,
parietal bone &
greater wing of
sphenoid
 Sphenoid bone
• The floor in the mid
line is formed by the
body of sphenoid.
• Large depressions
formed on either side
by the greater wing
of sphenoid and
squamous part of
temporal bone.
• The boundary b/w the
middle and posterior
cranial fossa is
superior part of the
petrus part of
temporal bone
laterally and &
dorsum sella
medially.