An osteometric evaluation of the jugular foramen

The jugular foramina (JF) are bilateral openings situated between the lateral part of the occipital bone and the petrous part of the temporal bones in the human skull. It is a bony canal transmitting neurovascular structures from the posterior cranial fossa through the base of the skull to the carotid space. Since the JF depicts variations in shape, size, height and volume between different racial and gender groups, along with distinctive differences in laterality from its intracranial to extracranial openings, knowledge of the JF may be necessary to understand intracranial pathologies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the morphometric measurements of the jugular foramen. Various morphometric parameters of the JF and its relation to surrounding structures were measured and assessed in 73 dry skull specimens (n=146). Each of the morphometric parameters measured were statistically analyse using SPSS to determine the existence of a possible relationship between the parameters and sex, race, age and laterality. The comparisons of sex and age with the distance between the JF and lateral pterygoid plate and distance between the JF and foramen magnum yielded statistically significant p values of 0.0049 and 0.036, respectively. The results of this study correlated with that of previous studies indicating that measurements regarding the JF are greater on the right side. The provision of morphometric data pertaining to the JF and surrounding structures may assist surgeons and clinicians during operative procedures.