Cruciform eminence

Cruciform eminence
Human skull. Position of cruciform eminence is shown in red.
Occipital bone. Inner surface.
Details
Identifiers
Latin	Eminentia cruciformis
TA98	A02.1.04.028
TA2	574
FMA	75754
Anatomical terms of bone

The cruciform eminence (or cruciate eminence), divides the deeply concave internal surface of the occipital bone into four fossae:

• The upper two fossae are called the cerebral fossae, are triangular and lodge the occipital lobes of the cerebrum.
• The lower two are called the cerebellar fossae, are quadrilateral and accommodate the hemispheres of the cerebellum.

The upper fossae are separated from the lower fossae by a groove for the transverse sinuses. At the point of intersection between all four fossae is the internal occipital protuberance.

Additional images

• 
  Cerebral fossa (shown in red)
• 
  Cerebellar fossa (shown in red)

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 130 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)