Composition of the Skull
The skull consists of a number of separate bones united at immobile joints
called sutures. The connective tissues between the bones are called sutural ligaments.
The mandible is an exception to this rule, for it is united to the skull by the mobile
temporomandibular joint.
The bones of the skull may be divided into those of the cranium and those of
the face. The vault is the upper part of the cranium, and the base of the skull is the lower
part of the cranium.
The bones of the skull are made of the external and internal tables of
compact bone, separated by a layer of spongy bone called the diploe. The internal table
is thinner and more brittle than the external table. The bones are covered on the outer
and inner surface with periosteum; the outer layer is referred to as the pericranium; the
inner covering as the endocranium.
The cranium consist of the following bones, two of which are paired
● Frontal bone 1
● Parietal bone 2
● Occipital bone 1
● Temporal bones 2
● Sphenoid bone 1
● Ethmoid bone 1
The facial bones consist of the following, two of which are single bones:
● Zygomatic bone 2
● Maxillae 2
● Nasal bones 2
● Lacrimal bones 2
● Vomer 1
● Palatine bones 2
● Inferior conchae 2
● Mandible 1
Features of the Skull:
The features of the skull are very common in adults, but much less so in the
young child. The infant skull has bones that are more resilient than those in the adult
skull, and they are separated by the fibrous sutural ligaments. In adults, the inner table
of the skull is particularly brittle. Moreover, the sutural ligaments begin to ossify during
middle age.
The type of the fracture that occurs in the skull will depend on the age of the
patient, the severity of the blow, and the area of skull receiving the trauma. The adult
skull may be linked to an eggshell in that it possesses a certain limited resilience,
beyond which it splinters. A severe localized bowel will produce a local indentation,
often accompanied by splintering of the bone. Bowls to the vault often result in a series
of linear fractures that radiate out through the thin areas of bone. The petrous parts of
the temporal bones and the occipital crests strongly reinforce the base of the skull and
tend to deflect linear fractures.
The skull consists of a number of separate bones united at immobile joints
called sutures. The connective tissues between the bones are called sutural ligaments.
The mandible is an exception to this rule, for it is united to the skull by the mobile
temporomandibular joint.
The bones of the skull may be divided into those of the cranium and those of
the face. The vault is the upper part of the cranium, and the base of the skull is the lower
part of the cranium.
The bones of the skull are made of the external and internal tables of
compact bone, separated by a layer of spongy bone called the diploe. The internal table
is thinner and more brittle than the external table. The bones are covered on the outer
and inner surface with periosteum; the outer layer is referred to as the pericranium; the
inner covering as the endocranium.
The cranium consist of the following bones, two of which are paired
● Frontal bone 1
● Parietal bone 2
● Occipital bone 1
● Temporal bones 2
● Sphenoid bone 1
● Ethmoid bone 1
The facial bones consist of the following, two of which are single bones:
● Zygomatic bone 2
● Maxillae 2
● Nasal bones 2
● Lacrimal bones 2
● Vomer 1
● Palatine bones 2
● Inferior conchae 2
● Mandible 1
Features of the Skull:
The features of the skull are very common in adults, but much less so in the
young child. The infant skull has bones that are more resilient than those in the adult
skull, and they are separated by the fibrous sutural ligaments. In adults, the inner table
of the skull is particularly brittle. Moreover, the sutural ligaments begin to ossify during
middle age.
The type of the fracture that occurs in the skull will depend on the age of the
patient, the severity of the blow, and the area of skull receiving the trauma. The adult
skull may be linked to an eggshell in that it possesses a certain limited resilience,
beyond which it splinters. A severe localized bowel will produce a local indentation,
often accompanied by splintering of the bone. Bowls to the vault often result in a series
of linear fractures that radiate out through the thin areas of bone. The petrous parts of
the temporal bones and the occipital crests strongly reinforce the base of the skull and
tend to deflect linear fractures.
