The pterygoid canal (also vidian canal) is a passage in the sphenoid bone of the
skull
The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, t ...
leading from just
anterior
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
to the
foramen lacerum in the
middle cranial fossa to the
pterygopalatine fossa.
Structure
The pterygoid canal runs through the
medial pterygoid plate of the
sphenoid bone to the back wall of the
pterygopalatine fossa.
Contents
It transmits the
nerve of pterygoid canal, (Vidian nerve), the
artery of the pterygoid canal (Vidian artery), and the vein of the pterygoid canal (Vidian vein).
Additional images
File:Gray192.png, Medial wall of left orbit.
External links
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References
Foramina of the skull
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