The ''optic foramen'' is the opening to the optic canal. The canal is located in the

sphenoid bone The sphenoid bone is an unpaired bone of the neurocranium. It is situated in the middle of the skull towards the front, in front of the basilar part of the occipital bone. The sphenoid bone is one of the seven bones that articulate to form the o ...

; it is bounded medially by the body of the sphenoid and laterally by the lesser wing of the sphenoid. The superior surface of the

is bounded behind by a ridge, which forms the anterior border of a narrow, transverse groove, the chiasmatic groove (optic groove), above and behind which lies the optic chiasma; the groove ends on either side in the optic foramen, which transmits the

optic nerve In neuroanatomy, the optic nerve, also known as the second cranial nerve, cranial nerve II, or simply CN II, is a paired cranial nerve that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. In humans, the optic nerve is derived fro ...

and

ophthalmic artery The ophthalmic artery (OA) is an artery of the head. It is the first branch of the internal carotid artery distal to the cavernous sinus. Branches of the ophthalmic artery supply all the structures in the orbit around the eye, as well as some str ...

(with accompanying

sympathetic nerve The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of the ...

fibres) into the

orbital cavity In anatomy, the orbit is the cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated. "Orbit" can refer to the bony socket, or it can also be used to imply the contents. In the adult human, the volume of the orbit is , of ...

. Compared to the optic nerve, the ophthalmic artery is located inferolaterally within the canal. The left and right optic canals are 25mm apart posteriorly and 30mm apart anteriorly. The canals themselves are funnel-shaped (narrowest anteriorly).

Additional images

File:Orbital_bones.png, The seven bones which articulate to form the orbit. File:Gray145.png,

Sphenoid bone The sphenoid bone is an unpaired bone of the neurocranium. It is situated in the middle of the skull towards the front, in front of the basilar part of the occipital bone. The sphenoid bone is one of the seven bones that articulate to form the o ...

. Upper surface. File:Gray192.png, Medial wall of left orbit. File:Gray787.png, Dissection showing origins of right ocular muscles, and nerves entering by the superior orbital fissure. File:Optic canal.jpg, Optic canal

References

External links

* * - (look for #3) * (look for #10) {{Authority control Foramina of the skull

Additional images

See also

References

External links