Foramen lacerum

Foramen lacerum
Base of the skull. Upper surface. (Foramen lacerum is labeled at center left, and is visible as the large hole between yellow sphenoid, red temporal, and blue occipital)
Details
SystemSkeletal
PartsTemporal bone, sphenoid bone, occipital bone
Identifiers
Latinforamen lacerum
TA98A02.1.00.055
TA2459
FMA54809
Anatomical terminology

The foramen lacerum (Latin: lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of skull. It is located between the sphenoid bone, the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone, and the basilar part of the occipital bone.