Cranial Bone Anatomy (DONOR5) | 100 Exam Questions with Verified Answers

This document offers 100 exam-focused questions and detailed answers on the cranial bones, structured for the DONOR5 module at the University of Health Sciences during the 2025/2026 academic year. Designed with visual memory aids, mnemonics, and clinical correlations, it is an essential revision tool for students preparing for anatomy practicals, spotter exams, and OSCEs. Content highlights include: Skull bone identification: detailed tagging of the frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, sphenoid, ethmoid, zygomatic, maxilla, mandible, nasal, vomer, palatine, and lacrimal bones Key foramina and their contents: optic canal (CN II), foramen rotundum (CN V2), foramen ovale (CN V3), internal acoustic meatus (CN VII & VIII), jugular foramen (CN IX, X, XI), hypoglossal canal (CN XII), and more Surface landmarks and structural junctions: such as the bregma, lambda, inion, pterion, asterion, nasion, and their anatomical relevance Cranial fossae and sinuses: including the sphenoid sinus, ethmoidal air cells, maxillary sinus, and grooves for sagittal, transverse, and sigmoid sinuses Special structures: sella turcica, clinoid processes, petrous temporal bone, cribriform plate, middle ear ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes), and TMJ components Mnemonics and conceptual diagrams: e.g., cranial nerve pathways, foramina associations, and motor/sensory classifications for easy recall Clinical relevance: highlighted areas prone to trauma (e.g., pterion), nerve compression (e.g., in the stylomastoid foramen), and examination hot spots This resource is ideal for: Medical and dental students studying neuroanatomy and skull osteology Physiotherapy, nursing, and surgical trainees preparing for anatomy exams or clinical placements International medical graduates (IMGs) reviewing tagged anatomical structures for practical licensing exams such as USMLE, PLAB, AMC, and others Learners needing high-yield visual aids and practice recall on bone landmarks and cranial nerve exits Its Q&A format is concise, repetition-based, and suitable for active recall, making it perfect for last-minute revision, solo study, or group tutorials. Keywords: cranial bones, skull anatomy, sphenoid bone, ethmoid bone, occipital bone, parietal bone, temporal bone, maxilla, mandible, nasal bone, foramina, optic canal, jugular foramen, hypoglossal canal, internal acoustic meatus, foramen ovale, foramen rotundum, cribriform plate, middle cranial fossa, cranial nerve exits, sutures of the skull, TMJ, ossicles, sinuses, skull landmarks, bregma, pterion, clinoid process, sella turcica