Sutures of the Skull

Sutures of the Skull

Introduction to Sutures

  • Sutures are a type of fibrous joint.
  • They are the seams between cranial bones of the skull.
  • The fibers attaching these bones are collagen fibers.
  • Sutures are classified as fibrous joints.
  • Sutures have no movement.
  • Suture means "to sew".

Four Major Sutures

The four large sutures around the perimeter of the parietal bone are:

Coronal Suture
  • "Corona" means crown.
  • The coronal suture goes across the crown of the head.
  • It is the articulation between the frontal bone and the parietal bones.
Sagittal Suture
  • "Sagittal" means to divide into right and left halves.
  • The sagittal suture is between the two parietal bones.
  • It separates the right and left parietal bones.
Squamous Suture
  • The squamous suture is between the temporal bone and the parietal bone.
  • It has a different structure compared to the other sutures.
  • Instead of an interlocking structure, it involves the flat edge of one bone resting on the other.
  • The flat edge of the temporal bone rests on top of the parietal bone.
  • "Squama" means flattened.
Lambdoid Suture
  • The lambdoid suture is between the occipital bone and the parietal bones.
  • "Lambda" refers to the Greek letter (Λ)(\Lambda), which looks like an upside-down V.
  • The lambdoid suture is named in reference to its shape.