Skull sutures
Last revised by Tariq Walizai
on 18 Aug 2024
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Hacking C, Walizai T, Bell D, et al. Skull sutures. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Jan 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-40338
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rID:
40338
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Last revised:
18 Aug 2024,
Tariq Walizai
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures
Revisions:
15 times, by
11 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
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Synonyms:
- Cranial sutures
- Calvarial suture
- Calvarial sutures
- Skull suture
- Cranial suture
There are many skull sutures, which is the name given to the fibrous joints formed where the bones of the skull meet. In general, sutures do not fuse until brain growth is complete, therefore allowing the skull to increase in size with the developing brain.
Gross anatomy
Skull sutures are fibrous joints with the periosteum externally and the outer layer of dura mater continuous over and under them. Their wavy appearance affords increased contact surface area between adjacent bones, supporting the strength of the joint.
Named sutures divided by their general location include:
-
calvarial
lambdoid suture (occipitomastoid suture)
-
facial
parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
-
basal/internal
Specific names have been given to where sutures meet, see: skull landmarks
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Related pathology
References
- 1. J. Randy Jinkins. Atlas of Neuroradiologic Embryology, Anatomy, and Variants. (2000) ISBN: 9780781716529 - Google Books
- 2. Keith L. Moore, Arthur F. Dalley. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. (1999) ISBN: 9780683061413 - Google Books
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Synarthroses
- Dura mater
- Squamomastoid suture
- Progressive postnatal pansynostosis
- Internasal suture
- Nasal bone
- Sphenopetrosal suture
- Sphenofrontal suture
- Pyknodysostosis
- Base of the skull
- Wormian bone
- Spheno-occipital synchondrosis
- Skull vault osteoma
- Mendosal suture
- Squamosal suture
- Cranial vault
- Nasomaxillary suture
- Skull fractures
- Sutural diastasis
- Fibrous joints
Cases:
- Persistent metopic suture with frontal sinus agensis
- Subgaleal dermoid cyst
- Metopic ridge
- Persistent metopic suture
- Progressive postnatal pansynostosis
- Spheno-occipital synchondrosis
- Persistent metopic suture
- Persistent metopic suture
- Cloverleaf skull deformity
- Spheno-occipital synchondrosis
- Cranial sutures - normal
- Accessory intraparietal suture
- Sphenosquamosal suture (illustrations)
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
facial muscles
- epicranius muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
-
buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- malaris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus labii superioris muscle
- incisivus labii inferioris muscle
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- muscle of mastication
- modiolus
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- platysma muscle
- longus colli muscle
- longus capitis muscle
- scalenus anterior muscle
- scalenus medius muscle
- scalenus posterior muscle
- scalenus pleuralis muscle
- sternocleidomastoid muscle
-
suboccipital muscles
- rectus capitis posterior major muscle
- rectus capitis posterior minor muscle
- obliquus capitis superior muscle
- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- upper respiratory tract
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- cervical sympathetic ganglia
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
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