The posterior skull base consists
of three bones: the occipital, temporal, and sphenoid which form
the posterior, middle, and anterior portions of the posterior skull
base, respectively. The petrous portion of the temporal bone and greater
wings of the sphenoid bone are particularly important for identifying
structures. The greater wings of the sphenoid are complex structures
that form 3 approximately orthogonal plates:
horizontal plate - medial floor of
the middle cranial fossa;
lateral plate - oblique sagittal plate
which is a portion of the
lateral skull
convexity;
orbital plate - oblique coronal plate that
forms the anterior wall
of the middle
cranial fossa/posterior wall of orbit.
In the following images, the bones of the posterior
skull base are color-coded with separate coloring for the petrous
temporal bone and the greater wings of the sphenoid. The fissures
and sutures that form the boundaries between these bones are labeled
as well as the sphenoid spine. Images are displayed serially from
inferior to superior.