Foramen ovale (skull)

Foramen ovale of sphenoid bone
Sphenoid bone. Upper surface. (foramen ovale labeled at left, third from bottom)
Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities.
Details
Part ofSphenoid bone
SystemSkeletal
Identifiers
Latinforamen ovale ossis sphenoidalis
TA98A02.1.05.036
TA2622
FMA53155
Anatomical terms of bone

The foramen ovale (En: oval window) is a hole in the posterior part of the sphenoid bone, posterolateral to the foramen rotundum. It is one of the larger of the several holes (the foramina) in the skull. It transmits the mandibular nerve, a branch of the trigeminal nerve.