Hypoglossal canal

Canalis hypoglossus

  • Latin synonym: Canalis nervi hypoglossi
  • Synonym: Anterior condyloid foramen

Definition

The hypoglossal canal is a short bony passageway at the base of either occipital condyle, nestled between it and the lateral part of the occipital bone.

The hypoglossal canal begins on the cranial surface of the occipital bone immediately above the foramen magnum, and extends lateralward and forward above the condyle, with its outer end opening at the base of the skull.

The hypoglossal canal allows for the passage of the hypoglossal nerve (XII), the venous plexus of hypoglossal canal and is the entrance to a meningeal branch of the ascending pharyngeal artery.

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Text by Antoine Micheau, MD - Copyright IMAIOS and reviewed by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2024 IMAIOS.

This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).


Comparative anatomy in animals

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