OSTEOLOGY OF THE
SKULL
Bruce L. Manion, Ph.D.
OJECTIVES
Be able to identify the bones of the skull.
Be able to identify foramina transmitting
vessels and nerves mentioned in lecture.
Be able to describe the bones and
structure of the orbit.
Be able to describe the bones and
structure of the nasal cavity.
Be able to describe the bones and
structure of the cranial fossae and their
contents.
OJECTIVES
Be able to identify the major sutures of the
skull and the bones forming them.
Be able to describe the concept of
fontanelles in the developing skull and
know the landmarks in the adult skull
indicating the location of the anterior and
posterior fontanelles.
ANTERIOR VIEW OF THE SKULL
(I'm circling things I don't
already know on this slide)
Frontal Bone
Nasal Bone
Superciliary
Ridge
Supraorbital
Foramen
Zygomatic
Bone
Piriform
Aperture
Orbit
Maxillae
Infraorbital
Foramen
Mental
Foramen
Mandible
Mental
Protuberance
Mental
Tubercle
LATERAL VIEW OF THE SKULL
**actually, see
"skull osteology
guide" in exam 6
folder on Dropbox. It
details the bone
subparts we need to
know.
Greater Wing of the
Sphenoid Bone
Coronal Suture
Parietal Bone
Superior Temporal
Line
Frontal Bone
Inferior
Temporal Line
Lambdoid
Suture
Nasal
Bone
Zygomatic
Bone
Occipital
Bone
Maxillae
Mandible
Temporomandibular Joint
Mastoid
Process
Styloid
Process
Temporal Bone
External Acoustic
meatus
Temple. Bad to be hit here. This
area is called temple because of
the root: time. In time, hair
begins to gray. It usually begins
graying here.
Pterion
Zygomatic
Arch
Grooves for
meningeal
vessels
Created because growing bone will not
grow over a blood vessel or the like;
it grows around it
POSTERIOR VIEW OF THE SKULL
The 2 sutures we should know:
2 parietal bones
Sagittal
Suture
Foramen for
Emissary Vein
Lambdoid
Suture
Parietal
Bone
Parietal bones and
occipital bone
*
*
Mastoid
Foramen
Occipital
Bone
* Intrasutural bones
Mastoid
Process
External Occipital
Protuberance
External Occipital
Crest
Superior Nuchal line
Inferior Nuchal Line
Crests are raised where muscles pull
to reinforce bone.
SUPERIOR VIEW OF THE SKULL
Coronal Suture
Frontal Bone
Bregma
Superior and
Inferior Temporal
Lines
Sagittal Suture
Parietal Bone
Foramen for
Emissary Vein
Lambda
Lambdoid Suture
Occipital Bone
INFERIOR VIEW OF THE SKULL
Palatine
Bone
Temporalis m
passes deep to z
arch
Maxillae
Zygomatic
Bone
Vomer
Temporal
Bone
Stylomastoid
Foramen
***
Greater
Wing of
Sphenoid
Foramen Ovale
Foramen
Spinosum
Styloid Process
Jugular
Foramen
Occipital
Bone
* Pharyngeal Tubercle
Carotid Canal
Foramen Magnum
External Occipital
Crest
Pterygoid = "wing-like"
Lateral and
Medial
Pterygoid
Processes
Occipital
Condyle for
articulation
with Atlas
Vertebra
*
Hypoglossal
Canal
Calvaria is the "cap" part of the
skull. Soup bowl.
INTERIOR VIEW OF THE CALVARIA
Between 2 layers of dense bone
Frontal Bone
Parietal Bone
Dural venous sinuses
Coronal Suture
Diplo, cancellous
bone of the skull
Granular Pits
for Arachnoid
Granulations
Sulci for
arteries
and veins
Lambdoid
Suture
Sulcus for
Superior Sagittal
Sinus
Occipital Bone
INTERIOR VIEW OF BASE OF SKULL
More openings in bottom of skull
because so many nerves and blood
vessels are coming and going
between brain and rest of body
Crista Galli of Ethmoid Bone
Cribriform Plate of
Ethmoid Bone
These pictures (this entire
lecture) is only meant to
complement the osteology of skull
file in exam 6 folder on Dropbox.
Frontal Bone
Lesser Wing of
Sphenoid Bone
Optic Canal
Superior
Orbital Fissure
Greater Wing of
Sphenoid Bone
Body of Sphenoid
Foramen
Ovale
Parietal Bone
Foramen
Foramen
Magnum
Magnum
Foramen
Spinosum
Foramen
Rotundum
Petrous Portion
of Temporal
Bone
Jugular
Foramen
Internal Occipital Crest
Occipital Bone
Internal Occipital Protuberance
Anterior Clinoid
Process
Holds
pituitary
gland
Hypophyseal
(Pituitary)
Fossa
Carotid
Groove
Mastoid
Foramen
Posterior
Clinoid Process
Foramen
Magnum
Jugular
Foramen
Internal Acoustic
Meatus
Major path
Sulcus for
for venous
Sigmoid Sinus drainage
Clivus
Sulcus for
Transverse Sinus
INTERIOR LATERAL VIEW OF SKULL
One of the sinuses that an become
infected and give you sinus
headaches
Coronal Suture
Frontal
Bone
Parietal Bone
Ethmoid Bone
Frontal
Sinus
Lambdoid
Suture
Crista Galli
Cribriform Plate
Perpendicular
Plate
Vomer
Maxillae
Occipital
Bone
Sulcus for
Sigmoid Sinus
Hypoglossal Canal
Internal Acoustic Meatus
Palatine Bone
Hypophyseal Fossa
Sphenoid Sinus
The place where surgeons enter
skull to reach pituitary gland
Pituitary
Fossa
Splenoidal
Sinus
Mastoid
Air Cells
CRANIAL FOSSAE
"Make sure you remember what
parts of the brain are in each
fossa"
Anterior
Frontal lobes of brain,
olfactory bulbs and tracts
and cribriform foramina
Middle
Temporal lobes of brain,
pituitary gland, foramina
rotundum, ovale and
spinosum, superior orbital
fissure and optic canals
Posterior
Midbrain, pons and medulla of the
brain stem, cerebellum, foramen
magnum, jugular foramen, internal
acoustic meatus hypoglossal
canal, condylar canal and mastoid
foramen
FONTANELLES
Frontal Suture,
disappears in adult
Coronal
Suture
Anterior
Fontanelle,
future site of
bregma in adult
Sagittal
Suture
Do know these relationships
Lambdoid
Suture
Posterior
Fontanelle,
future site of
lambda in adult
FONTANELLES
Anterior Fontanelle
