Which foramen transmits the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (V3)?

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The key idea is how the trigeminal nerve divides and exits the skull. The mandibular division (V3) carries both sensory and motor fibers and exits the cranial cavity through the foramen ovale, then enters the infratemporal fossa to supply the lower face and muscles of mastication. This is distinct from the other divisions: the ophthalmic division (V1) passes through the superior orbital fissure, the maxillary division (V2) goes through the foramen rotundum to reach the pterygopalatine fossa, and the foramen spinosum mainly transmits the middle meningeal vessels (with a small meningeal branch that can accompany V3). The foramen lacerum is largely closed in life and not a primary exit for V3. So the foramen ovale is the correct route for the mandibular division.