MORPHOLOGICAL AND MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF JUGULAR FORAMEN IN SOUTH INDIAN POPULATION

Background: The jugular foramen, the bony opening on the base 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 and Methods: 324 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: Jugular foramina were studied for a review of its morphology, morphometry and its comparison with previous studies. Different shapes and sizes of jugular foramen were seen. Laterality was also noticed, compartmentation was also observed which was found to be statistically significant. 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.