Anatomy · Neuroanatomy

Meninges and dural venous sinuses

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  • Meninges: three membranes enclosing the brain, from without inwards dura mater, arachnoid mater and pia mater.
  • Dural venous sinuses: venous channels enclosed within the two layers of cranial dura mater.

Dura Mater

  • Cranial dura has two layers, endosteal and meningeal, which separate to enclose the dural venous sinuses and fold to form the dural septa.
  • The meningeal layer continues as spinal dura at the foramen magnum, ensheathes cranial nerves and fuses with epineurium.
  • Nerve supply:
    • Three divisions of the trigeminal nerve: supratentorial dura
    • Upper three cervical nerves: infratentorial dura
    • Cervical sympathetic trunk
    • Only dura mater and cerebral vessels carry pain-sensitive nerve endings
  • Arterial supply: branches of internal carotid, ascending pharyngeal, maxillary, occipital and vertebral arteries.
    • Middle meningeal artery, entering via the foramen spinosum, is the largest and clinically most important