Bones & Sutures of the Skull

Neocranium

Bony case of brain

Two parts of neurocranium

1. Calvaria: dome-like roof (‘skullcap’)

2. Basicranium / Cranial Base: floor

Frontal Bone

Parietal Bone

Coronal (Frontal) Suture unites which bones

Unites frontal bone & both parietal bones

What type of joints are the sutures in the skull?

Fibrous Joint: Suture

Joint specific to the skull where bones are close together and joined by sutural ligaments

Sagittal Suture

Unites parietal bones in midline

Occipital bone

Lambdoid Suture

United both parietal bones & occipital bone

Temporal Bones

Squamous Sutures

Unite parietal and temporal bones

Ethmoid Bone

Sphenoid bone

Pterion

articulation point of frontal, parietal, temporal, and sphenoid bones

What artery is associated with the pterion

branches of middle meningeal artery travel deep to this spot

Fetal Sutures and Fontanels

Dense connective tissue regions between incompletely ossified cranial bones

What are the two fontanels

• anterior fontanel

• posterior fontanel

Viscerocranium

facial skeleton

Nasal bones

Bridge of nose

Lacrimal Bones

Maxillary bones

Zygomatic bones

cheek bone

Mandible

Jaw bone

When the anterior fontanelle ossifies, which two sutures join the space?

Frontal and Sagittal

When the posterior fontanelle ossifies, which two sutures join the space?

Sagittal and Lambdoid