부산대학교 도서관

Objectives: Ossification of the various ligaments at the base of the skull is quite common. Ossified pterygospinous and pterygoalar ligaments have been extensively described in the literature. We observed some bony outgrowths extending from the bar of bone between foramen spinosum (FS) and foramen ovale (FO). The objective of the present study was to report the incidence of these bony outgrowths near the FS. Materials and Methods: Fifty-five dried adult skulls and 20 sphenoid bones were examined for the bony outgrowths (if present) near the FS. Results: Bony outgrowths extended posteriorly from the bar of bone between FO and FS in 60% of cases. These bony outgrowths when long were seen meeting the spine extending from the spine of the sphenoid, forming a complete or incomplete bar of the bone. At times, a thick bony plate joined the bar of bone between FO and FS to the spine of the sphenoid. Conclusions: The bony outgrowths near FS become clinically important in surgeries involving middle meningeal artery. In spite of such implications, these bony outgrowths are neither named nor have they received the due attention in the literature. Detailed studies of these bony outgrowths could be of interest to radiologists, anesthetists, and neurosurgeons.