Head and Neck Osteology and Arthrology

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering head and neck osteology (bones/landmarks), arthrology (joints/ligaments), and developmental features based on the lecture transcript.

Cranium

The skeleton of the head.

Neurocranium

The bony case of the brain, including cranial meninges; includes singular bones (frontal, ethmoid, sphenoidal, occipital) and paired bones (temporal, parietal).

Calvaria

The dome-like roof of the neurocranium, also known as the skullcap.

Viscerocranium

The anterior part of the cranium consisting of singular bones (mandible, ethmoid, vomer) and paired bones (maxillae, inferior nasal conchae, zygomatic, palatine, nasal, lacrimal).

Fontanel

An unossified area in the infant cranium.

Pneumatized bones

Bones that contain air spaces which increase with age.

Glabella

A smooth, slightly depressed area on the frontal bone located between the superciliary arches.

Lamina papyracea

The orbital plate of the ethmoid bone; a very thin bone contributing to the medial wall of the orbit.

Optic canal

The opening located through the lesser wing of the sphenoid bone.

Piriform aperture

The pear-shaped anterior opening of the nose in the cranium.

Alveolar processes

The tooth sockets (alveoli) located in the maxillae and mandible.

Maxillary tuberosity

The posterior part of the maxilla behind the last tooth; becomes most prominent after the growth of the wisdom tooth.

Lingula

A spinous process that protects the mandibular foramen and the associated nerve.

Pterion

A weak area of bone junctions where the sphenoid, frontal, parietal, and temporal bones converge.

Infratemporal fossa

The space located medial to the ramus of the mandible and the zygomatic arch.

Coronal suture

The fibrous joint that separates the frontal and parietal bones.

Sagittal suture

The fibrous joint that separates the two parietal bones.

Lambdoid suture

The fibrous joint that separates the parietal and temporal bones from the occipital bone.

Foramen magnum

The large opening in the occipital bone that serves as the transition point between the brain and spinal cord.

Foramen lacerum

An opening that exists only in the deceased, dry cranium due to the dehydration of skull tissues; located between the occipital, temporal, and sphenoid bones.

Choanae

The posterior openings of the nasal cavity.

Sella turcica

The 'Turkish saddle' formation of the sphenoid bone that houses the pituitary gland.

Hypophyseal fossa

The median depression in the sella turcica that houses the pituitary gland.

Petrous part

The portion of the temporal bone that divides the middle cranial fossa from the posterior cranial fossa.

Clivus

The bony surface extending posteriorly from the dorsum sellae to the foramen magnum.

Atlas ($C1$)

An atypical vertebra that carries the cranium, has no body, and possesses lateral masses to bear the cranium's weight.

Axis ($C2$)

The strongest cervical vertebra, characterized by the dens projecting superiorly from its body.

Dens

The superior projection of the Axis ($C2$) that articulates with the anterior arch of the Atlas ($C1$) to form a synovial joint.

Vertebra prominens ($C7$)

The cervical vertebra that defines the inferior limit of the neck posteriorly.

Eagle syndrome

A condition involving the elongation of the styloid process or mineralization of the stylohyoid ligament complex, causing pain when speaking and limited range of motion.

Anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL)

A strong, broad fibrous band that covers the anterolateral aspects of vertebral bodies and is the only ligament that limits extension.

Ligamenta flava

Broad, pale yellow bands of elastic tissue joining the laminae of adjacent vertebrae; they form the posterior wall of the vertebral canal.

Nuchal ligament

Strong, thickened fibroelastic tissue extending from the occipital protuberance and foramen magnum to the cervical spinous processes.

Atlanto-occipital joint

A synovial joint between the superior articular facets of the Atlas ($C1$) and the occipital condyles that allows for nodding movements (flexion and extension).

Tectorial membrane

The superior continuation of the posterior longitudinal ligament, extending from the body of the Axis ($C2$) to the foramen magnum.

Alar ligaments

Check ligaments extending superolaterally from the dens to the lateral margin of the foramen magnum to prevent excessive rotation.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

The only moveable joint in the cranium; a hinge-type synovial joint allowing for elevation, depression, protrusion, and retrusion.

Sphenomandibular ligament

An extrinsic ligament of the TMJ attaching superiorly to the spine of the sphenoid bone and inferiorly to the lingula of the mandible.