In anatomy, a fossa is a depression or hollow, usually in a bone). It can serve various purposes, such as allowing movement for other body parts or receiving another articulating bone. Some examples of fossae in the human body include:
- Cranial fossa
- Hypophyseal fossa
- Temporal bone fossa
- Infratemporal fossa
- Pterygopalatine fossa
- Pterygoid fossa
- Lacrimal fossa
- Mandibular fossa
- Scaphoid fossa
- Jugular fossa
- Condyloid fossa
- Rhomboid fossa
- Fossa ovalis (heart)
- Infraclavicular fossa
- Pyriform fossa
- Substernal fossa
- Iliac fossa
- Ovarian fossa
- Paravesical fossa
- Coccygeal fossa
- Fossa navicularis
- Ischioanal fossa
- Supraclavicular fossa
- Radial fossa
- Cubital fossa (a.k.a. Antecubital fossa)
- Olecranon fossa
- Fossa ovalis (thigh)
- Trochanteric fossa
- Acetabular fossa
- Popliteal fossa
- Intercondylar fossa of femur
The middle cranial fossa is an intricate intracranial area that contains many structures susceptible to pathology, making it an area directly pertinent to neurosurgeons, neurologists, otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, radiologists, and endocrinologists.
