Part of the cranium, the clivus is a shallow depression behind the dorsum sellC& that slopes obliquely backward. It forms a gradual sloping process at the anterior most portion of the basilar occipital bone at its junction with the sphenoid bone. On axial planes, it sits just posterior to the sphenoid sinuses. Just lateral to the clivus bilaterally is the foramen lacerum which contains the internal carotid artery, proximal to its anastamosis with the Circle of Willis. Posterior to the clivus is the basilar artery. The clivus supports the upper part of the pons. [ HP:0010558 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clivus_(anatomy) ]
Synonyms: clivus occipital bone clivus
Term information
- neuronames:674
- Wikipedia:Clivus_(anatomy)
- SCTID:361736007
- NCIT:C12494
- FMA:75747
pheno_slim
The clivus is an important landmark for checking for anatomical atlanto-occipital alignment; the clivus, when viewed on a lateral C-spine X-ray, forms a line which, if extended, is known as Wackenheim's clivus line. Wackenheim's clivus line should pass through the dens of the axis or be tangential to it.
Term relations
- zone of bone organ
- located in some posterior cranial fossa
- part of some occipital bone
- adjacent to some sphenoid bone