Sutures

Last revised by Patrick O'Shea on 3 Apr 2023

There are many sutures of the skull, which are where skull bones 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:

Specific names are given to where sutures meet, see: skull landmarks

Related pathology

ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.