Osteology of the Head and Neck Flashcards
Where does movement occur in the skull?
the mandible at the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) & the atlanto-occipital joint
What is the function of the skull?
Protects the brain, brainstem, cranial nerves & associated blood vessels
Provides attachment for muscles Provides a framework for the head Gives us our identity as individuals…
What types of bones are in the skull?
flat and irregular bones
pneumatised bones
What type of osstification are flat smooth bones?
intramembranous
What type of ossification are irregular bones?
endochondral
What are pneumatised bones? What is the purpose of them?
What are examples?
Pneumatised bones: Bones with air spaces (air cells or sinuses) such as the frontal, temporal, sphenoid & ethmoid
Why? Reduce weight & add resonance to our voice
How many bones are in the skull?
total of 22 bones in the adult excluding the ossicles of the ear (28 with ossicles)
What is the neurocranium?
Bony case of the brain including cranial meninges with a dome-like roof (calvaria/skullcap) & a floor (cranial base/basicranium)
What is the viscerocranium?
(facial skeleton):
Anterior part of cranium that consists of bones surrounding the oral cavity, nasal cavity & most of the orbit
What are the bones of the neurocranium?
8 bones
Frontal
Parietal x2
Occipital
Sphenoid
Temporal x2
Ethmoid
What are the bones of the viscerocranium?
15
Ethmoid
Palatine x2
Lacrimal x2
Nasal x2
Zygomatic x2
Vomer
Inferior nasal concha x2
Maxilla x2
Mandible
What are the main features of the viscerocranium?
Zygomatic arch, mandible & infratemporal fossa
What are the main features of the neurocranium?
External acoustic meatus (opening), styloid & mastoid processes & temporal fossa
What is at the borders of the temporal fossa?
*including the floor
Superior & posterior borders: Superior & inferior temporal lines
Anterior border: Frontal process of zygomatic bone & zygomatic process of frontal bone
Inferior border: Infratemporal crest deep to zygomatic arch
Floor: Includes pterion
What is the pterion?
h-shaped junction of sutures
includes the frontal, parietal, temporal, & greater wing of sphenoid bone
thin and vulnerable
What does the pterion overlie?
anterior branch of the middle meningeal artery
trauma can lead to extradural (epidural) haematoma
Where is the surface anatomy of the pterion?
superior to midpoint of zygomatic arch & posterior to frontal process of zygomatic bone
What is the calvaria composed of?
4 bones
4 flat bones (2x parietal, single frontal & occipital) fused by the coronal, sagittal & lambdoid sutures
What is the bregma?
what is it in the neonate
the midline bony landmark where the coronal and sagittal sutures meet, between the frontal and two parietal bones. It is the anterior fontanelle in the neonate and closes in the second year
What are granular foveolae found in the calvaria?
what is their role?
Arachnoid granulations (return CSF to the venous circulation)
What are sutures and what is their movement?
- Structurally, type of fibrous joint
- Functionally, limited or no movement
(synarthrosis)
What are fontanelles?
- Moulding of cranial shape during birth
- Post-natal growth of brain
- Corners of frontal & parietal bones fuse by 18 months (anterior fontanelle not palpable)
What are flat bones seperated by?
by fibrous membranes that fuse in post-natal life (sutures)
What are the accessory/wormian/sutural bones?
which suture are they most commonly found in?
- Small islands of bone may be seen within a cranial suture
- Most commonly observed in the lambdoid suture
What are the exit points of CN V divisions?
supra-orbital notch (foramen)
infra-orbital foramen
mental foramen
What are craniometric points?
Craniometric points (CPs) are landmarks on the skull that are important in radiology and surgery
What are the craniometric points?
8
asterion
inion
lambda
vertex
bregma
pterion
glabella
nasion
What part of the palate is bony?
anterior 2/3
What part of the palate is soft?
posterior 1/3