Skull

Li Wang
The Department of Anatomy, Medical College, The University of South China

Section 4 Skull

The bony framework of the head, termed the skull.

Supraorbital margin

The skull is composed Cerebral cranium of 23 bones, which may be divided into the cerebral cranium and facial cranium Facial cranium

Superior margin of external acoustic pore

1. Cerebral cranium
The cerebral cranium is the larger, upper and posterior part. It consists of 8 cranial bones, which connect with each other to form the cranial cavity containing and protecting the brain.
Cerebral cranium Facial cranium

8 Cranial bones

Unpaired bones: include

frontal bone

(blue part) (purple part) (grey part) (yellow part)

Lateral view

occipital bone ethmoid bone sphenoid bone parietal bone

Paired bones: include

(green part) (red part)

temporal bone

Internal surface of the cranial base

1) Frontal bone (1)

frontal bone

frontal bone

frontal

bone

Anterior view

Lateral view

Internal surface of the cranial base

2) Occipital bone (1)

occipital bone

occipital bone

Lateral view

Internal surface of the cranial base

3) Parietal bone (2)

parietal bone

parietal bone

Lateral view

Internal surface of the cranial base

4) Ethmoid bone (1)

ethmoid bone
Medial wall of the bony nasal cavity

Internal surface of the cranial base

Lateral wall of the bony nasal cavity

Cribriform plate

Division

Perpendicular plate Ethmoidal labyrinth

Ethmoidal labyrinth

Cribriform plate

Cribriform plate

Perpendicular plate
Superior view Anterior view

5) Temporal bone (2)

temporal bone temporal bone

Lateral view

Internal surface of the cranial base

Squamous part Division Tympanic part Petrous part

Squamous part Petrous part

Tympanic part

Internal view

External view

6) Sphenoid bone (1)

sphenoid bone
sphenoid bone

Lateral view

Internal surface of the cranial base

Division

Body Lesser wing Greater wing Pterygoid processes

Greater wing Lesser wing

Body Posterior view Anterior view

Pterygoid process

2. Facial cranium
The facial cranium is the smaller, lower, and anterior part. It consists of 15 facial bones, which surround the eye, nose and mouth. Cerebral cranium Facial cranium

15 facial bones

Unpaired bones: include

mandible vomer hyoid bone maxilla nasal bone lacrimal bone palatine bone zygomatic bone inferior nasal concha

Paired bones: include

1) Palatine bone (2)

palatine bone

Medial wall of the bony nasal cavity

External surface of the cranial base

Perpendicular plate

Horizontal plate

2) Maxillae (2)

maxillae

maxillae

Anterior view

Body Frontal process

Division

Zygomatic process Alveolar process Palatine process Maxillary sinus

Lateral view

Medial view

3) Zygomatic bone (2)

zygomatic bone

zygomatic bone

Anterior view

4) Nasal bone (2)

nasal bone

Anterior view

5) Lacrimal bone (2)

lacrimal bone

Anterior view

6) Inferior nasal concha (2)

Inferior nasal concha

Anterior view

Lateral wall of the bony nasal cavity

7) Vomer (1)

vomer

Medial wall of the bony nasal cavity

8) Mandible (1)

mandible
Anterior view

Division

Body of mandible Ramus of mandible

Head of mandible

Coronoid process

Condylar process

Ramus of mandible

Body of mandible Angle of mandible Lateral view

9) Hyoid bone (1)

Greater horn

Lesser horn

Body of hyoid bone

Lateral view

parietal bone Frontal bone Sphenoid bone

Temporal bone Zygomatic bone Nasal bone Occipital bone

Maxillae

Mandible

3. The skull as a whole

1) Superior view of the skull

Bones:

frontal bone paired parietal bone occipital bone

Sutures:

Coronal suture Sagittal suture

Lambdoid suture

Internal surface of the calvaria

sulcus for superior sagittal sinus

2) Posterior view of the skull

Lambdoid suture External occipital protuberance

3) Internal surface of the cranial base

Base of skull forms three fossae

Anterior cranial fossa

Middle cranial fossa

Posterior cranial fossa

(1) Anterior cranial fossa

Formed by orbital part of frontal bone, cribriform plate of ethmoid bone, and lesser wings of sphenoid bone

Crista galli

Cribriform plate

Cribriform foramina

(2) Middle cranial fossa

Formed by the body and greater wings of sphenoid bone, petrous part of temporal bone

Superior orbital fissure

Optic canal

Foramen rotundum Foramen ovale

Hypophysial fossa Foramen lacerum

Tegmen tympani Arcuate eminence

Foramen spinosum Trigeminal impression

Dorsum sellae

(3) Posterior cranial fossa

Formed by occipital bone and the petrous part of temporal bone

Internal acoustic pore

Jugular foramen

Internal opening of hypoglossal canal

Foramen magnum Internal occipital protuberance

Sulcus for sigmoid sinus Sulcus for transverse sinus

4) External surface of the cranial base

Incisive foramen
Greater palatine foramen Foramen ovale Foramen spinousum Foramen lacerum Foramen magnum Occipital condyle

Alveolar arch Bony plate

Articular tubercle Mandibular fossa Styloid process Mastoid process

5) Lateral view of the skull

Zygomatic arch Temporal fossa Infratemporal fossa

Pterion

6) Anterior view of the skull

(1) Orbit
quadrilateral pyramid-shaped paired cavities

One Base 1 One Apex 1 Four Walls 4 superior inferior medial lateral

Fossa for Lacrimal gland

Optical canal Supraorbital notch

Superior orbital fissure Inferior orbital fissure Infraorbital groove Infraorbital canal Infraorbital foramen Fossa for lacrimal sac

(2) Bony nasal cavity

Roof: cribriform plate of ethmoid bone Floor: bony palate Medial wall bony septum of nose Lateral wall

perpendicular plate of ethmoid bone

vomer

Superior, middle and inferior nasal conchae Superior, middle and inferior nasal meatus (underlying each concha)

Medial wall of the bony nasal cavity

superior conchae middle conchae inferior conchae

Sphenoethmoidal recess above superior nasal concha

Anterior piriform aperture Posterior posterior nasal aperture

Lateral wall of the bony nasal cavity

(3) Paranasal sinuses Frontal sinus

Lies in frontal bone, deep to superciliary arch Drain to anterior part of middle nasal meatus

(3) Paranasal sinuses

Ethmoidal sinus

Lie in ethmoidal bone, contains large number of air cells, divided into anterior, middle and posterior groups

Anterior and middle groups drain into middle nasal meatus, while posterior group drains into superior nasal meatus

(3) Paranasal sinuses

Sphenoidal sinus

Lies in body of sphenoid bone

Drain into sphenoethmoidal recess

(3) Paranasal sinuses

Maxillary sinus

Largest paired sinus, lie in the body of maxilla Opening into middle nasal meatus

4. General characters of the skull at birth

The skull at birth is large in proportion to rest of the skeleton

The facial portion equals about one eight that of the cranium in size (1/8), whereas in adult it is one half (1/4)

Many bones consist of more than one piece

Cranial frontanelles
unossified membrane between the bones at the angles of parietal Anterior frontanelle closes during middle of 2nd year

Posterior frontanelle closes by the end of 2nd month after birth