Fossa (anatomy) explained

Fossa
Latin:	fossa

In anatomy, a fossa (;^{[1] [2]} : fossae (or);) is a depression or hollow, usually in a bone, such as the hypophyseal fossa (the depression in the sphenoid bone).^[3] Some examples include:

In the skull:

• Cranial fossa
  • Anterior cranial fossa
  • Middle cranial fossa
    • Interpeduncular fossa
  • Posterior cranial fossa
• Hypophyseal fossa
• Temporal bone fossa
  • Mandibular fossa
  • Jugular fossa
• Infratemporal fossa
• Pterygopalatine fossa
• Pterygoid fossa
• Lacrimal fossa
  • Fossa for lacrimal gland
  • Fossa for lacrimal sac
• Scaphoid fossa
• Condyloid fossa
• Rhomboid fossa

In the mandible:

• Retromolar fossa

In the torso:

• Fossa ovalis (heart)
• Infraclavicular fossa
• Pyriform fossa
• Substernal fossa
• Iliac fossa
• Ovarian fossa
• Paravesical fossa
• Coccygeal fossa
• Fossa navicularis
  • Navicular fossa of male urethra
  • Fossa of vestibule of vagina
• Ischioanal fossa

In the upper limb:

• Supraclavicular fossa
• Radial fossa
• On the scapula:
  • Glenoid fossa
  • Supraspinous fossa
  • Infraspinous fossa
  • Subscapular fossa
• Cubital fossa (a.k.a. Antecubital fossa or chelidon)
• Olecranon fossa

In the lower limb:

• Fossa ovalis (thigh)
• Trochanteric fossa
• Acetabular fossa
• Popliteal fossa
• Intercondyloid fossa
  • Anterior intercondyloid fossa
  • Posterior intercondyloid fossa
• Intercondylar fossa of femur

See also

• Foramen

References

1. OED 2nd edition, 1989.
2. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fossa Entry "fossa"
3. Venieratos D, Anagnostopoulou S, Garidou A., A new morphometric method for the sella turcica and the hypophyseal fossa and its clinical relevance.;Folia Morphol (Warsz). 2005 Nov;64(4):240-7.