Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2025
Quantification of Levator Ani Hiatus Enlargement by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Males and Females with Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Published on: April 17, 2019
An atypical anatomical variation of the petrosphenoidal ligament in a newborn cadaver
Burak Oğuzhan Karapinar1, Aymen A Warille2, Orhan Baş3
1Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Ondokuz Mayıs University Health Services of Vocational School, Samsun, Turkey. burakkarapinar@hotmail.com.
Purpose:
To report an atypical anatomical variation of the petrosphenoidal ligament in a newborn cadaver and to discuss its clinical significance.
Methods:
During a study of ten newborn cadavers, the skull base was dissected to reveal the anatomy of the petrosphenoidal ligament and its relationship with the abducens nerve. An atypical anatomical variation was observed, and this is described. The length of the right and left ligaments to the point where it splits into two arms, the joint length of the two ligaments at the junction of the clivus, the length of the ligament proceeding to the posterior clinoid process, and the abducens nerve's diameter as it passes below the ligament were measured on ImageJ software.
Results:
The petrosphenoidal ligaments were y-shaped, and the attachment of the proximal ligaments was bifid. In the midline above the clivus, some ligament bundles joined the contralateral petrosphenoidal ligament, whilst another group of bundles originated at the posterior clinoid process. At the entry to Dorello's canal, the abducens nerve had a diameter of 0.59 mm on the left and 0.65 mm on the right. The part of the ligaments converging on the clivus in the midline after dividing into two arms was 10.68 mm.
Conclusions:
We think that this case report will provide useful information for surgical procedures to the petroclival region, transnasal surgical approaches, and surgical interventions involving the carotid artery.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:11Anatomical Positions
The body is upright, facing forward, and standing erect.
The feet are parallel and flat on the floor.
The arms are hanging by the...
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:29Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into ...