Foramen Magnum

In anatomy, the foramen magnum (Latin: "great hole") is a large opening in the occipital bone of the cranium. It is one of the several oval or circular apertures in the base of the skull (the foramina), through which the medulla oblongata (an extension of the spinal cord) enters and exits the skull vault.

Apart from the transmission of the medulla oblongata and its membranes, the foramen magnum transmits the spinal accessory nerve, vertebral arteries, the anterior and posterior spinal arteries, the membrana tectoria and alar ligaments.