AbstractBackground: The foramen ovale is present in spenoid bone which transmits the mandibular nerve, accessory meningeal artery, emissary vein and the lesser petrosal nerve. The most predominant location of foramen ovale is in the infratemporal surface of greater wing of the spenoid bone posterior and lateral to the foramen rotundum and lateral to the lingual and posterior end of the carotid groove. It lies close to the upper end of the posterior margin of the lateral pterygoid plate. The Foramen ovale is situated at the transition zone between intracranial and extracranial structures. Therefore, it is used in various surgical as well as diagnostic procedures. Materials and Methods: A total 350 skulls were used for this study. The skulls were collected with I MBBS student from different medical institutions in south India. The following measurements were recorded. Maximum length and width of foramen ovale was measured. Variation in right and left side and sex difference in length and width were calculated, the variations in shape also recorded. Results: The mean value of length of left foramen ovale is 9.5±1.92mm and right was 9.1±1.77mm. The maximum length was 12.1mm at left side and it was 11.9mm on right. The mean width was 4.1±0.92mm on right side and it was 3.9±1.01mm on left side. The shape of foramen ovale was ovale in 79% of skulls, almond in 18.28% of skulls and round was 2.57% of skulls. Conclusion: the findings of present study conclude that there is no significant difference between sizes of right and left side foramen ovale and found that between male and female foramen ovale sizes also not shown any significance difference. The knowledge of foramen ovale morphometric observations has practical significance to both neurosurgical and functional cranial neuroanatomy.
Keywords: Foramen Ovale; Foramen Rotendum; Base of Skull; Spenoid Bone.