Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Fossa
Introduction
Fossa is the Latin word for ditch or trench. More specifically, it can refer to one of the following:
Anatomy
In anatomical terminology, fossa has come to mean a depression or hollow, typically in a bone. Other parts of the body may be involved, for example the antecubital fossa. Some examples include:
- Antecubital fossa
- Fossa navicularis
- Cuboid fossa
- Anterior cranial fossa
- Middle cranial fossa
- Posterior cranial fossa
- Jugular fossa
- Fossa ovalis (heart)
- Fossa ovalis (thigh)
- Iliac fossa
- Pelvic fossa
- Popliteal fossa
- Supraclavicular fossa
- On the Temporal bone
- On the scapula:
- Glenoid fossa to accept the humerus
- Supraspinous fossa
- Infraspinous fossa
- Subscapular fossa
- See also foramen.
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]