Human bony jugular foramen: some additional morphological and morphometric features.

Background: The jugular foramen, the bony opening on the basis of skull, is an opening through which pass the ninth, tenth, and eleventh cranial nerves, two dural sinuses, and the meningeal branches of the occipital and ascending pharyngeal arteries. The increasing use of modern diagnostic procedures and new surgical approaches has created a need for much more detailed anatomical studies and explanations. This article reveals some additional features.

Material/methods: Fifty jugular foramina of skulls of persons of unknown age and gender were examined. The morphological characteristics of all the investigated jugular foramina were described, measured, and compared, taking into consideration their side.

Results: All quantitative mean values, except for the width of the anteromedial compartment, were greater on the right side; of these, the lengths and widths of the posterolateral compartment were significantly greater. The bipartite form of the jugular foramen dominated. Complete bony bridging of the jugular foramen was found in 24% of cases. There is no rule of simultaneous complete bony bridging of the jugular foramen and splitting of the hypoglossal canal.

Conclusions: A detailed examination of the jugular foramen anatomy was performed. The main types of jugular foramina and the frequencies of bipartite or tripartite division were established. Several dimensions of the parts of the jugular foramen were measured. Some new data could provide important information about the anatomy of the jugular foramen for reliable surgical interventions in this area.