Posterior cranial fossa
The posterior fossa (Latin, " posterior fossa " ), called with animals fossa caudalis is ( occipital bone ) to the skull bone occipital bone, temporal bone ( temporal bone ) and sphenoid ( sphenoid ) formed. Central is the foramen magnum ( occipital foramen ) through which the spinal cord passing over into the medulla oblongata leaves the cranial cavity. The cerebellar hemispheres characterize each one pit ( fossa cerebellar ) on either side of the foramen magnum. Between these is a dorsally ascending bone crest ( crista occipitalis interna), which resulted in a significant bony prominence ( internal occipital protuberance ) terminates. This projection is an important crossroads of bone channels which contain important blood vessels. On the bone strips, which extend from the internal occipital protuberance, arise the so-called brain sickle ( falx cerebri), and also from the dura mater ( dura mater) existing cerebellar tent ( tentorium cerebelli ). The anterior boundary of the posterior fossa on both sides forms the petrous pyramid of the temporal bone ( petrous ossis temporalis ), and lying between the pyramid tips clivus, which is formed by parts of the occipital bone and the sphenoid bone and rest the parts of the brain bridge and medulla oblongata.
Skull passages
Vertebral artery
Posterior spinal artery
Glossopharyngeal
Vagus nerve
Accessory nerve
Internal jugular vein
Vestibulocochlear nerve
Labyrinthine artery
Vena labyrinthine