The scull: principles of development and structure.

The neurocranium and splanchnocranium bones – overview.

Scull of the newborn and its growth.

MUDr. Veronika Němcová, CSc.
Neurocranium + splanchnocranium

F
L
P

N
S
T
Z
Max O

M
 Scull
neurocranium
F capsula encephalica,
capsula ethmoidalis,
P capsula optica,
capsula otica
N
O
E
T (P)
V
Max splanchnocranium
(viscerocranium)
S Pal
M
Scull in the newborn, in 7 years and in adult
proportions

newborn

7 years
neurocranium adult
splanchnocranium
 Desmocranium and chondrocranium

• intramenbranous ossification – directly

from the mesenchymal connective tissue
(most of the splanchnocranium and
calvaria)
• enchondral ossification -ossification of the
cartilaginous model (mainly bones of skull
base)
 PRIMITIVE CHONDROCRANIUM

capsula capsula capsula occipital

ethmoidea optica otica vertebrae

CARTILAGINOUS CHONDROCRANIUM AND DESMOCRANIUM

branchial
arches I
II
VI
desmocranium
chondrocranium
 Desmocranium and chondrocranium in the newborn

os sphenoidale

os frontale
os parietale

squama ossis occipitalis

os ethmoidale
os occipitale
os nasale

maxilla
os lacrimale os temporale squama
os zygomaticum

mandibula Meckels malleus

cartilage

desmocranium
os temporale -tympanic part styloid process
chondrocranium
Desmocranium and chondrocranium

F
L
P

N
S
T
Z
Max
O
M
mastoid process

styloid process
pyramis
 Development of the scull base
Chondrocranium ethmoid bone

prechordal cartilages lesser wing

ala orbitalis greater wing

hypophysial cartilage body sphenoid
ala temporalis basilar part of
parachordal occipital bone
cartilage occipital sclerotoms
periotic
capsule pyramis of
temporale bone
occipital sclerotoms

chorda dorsalis
(notochord) 6 weeks
Development of the splanchnocranium – from branchial arches

1. branchial arch

incus
stapes

2. branchial arch
styloid process
stylohyoid ligament

3. branchial arch

greater horn of the hyoid bone

Meckels cartilage
4. branchial arch
lesser horn of the hyoid bone
6. branchial arch
epiglottis
 Ossification
• Desmocranium
Chondrocranium • os occipitale – squama
• os occipitale –basis and lateral • os parietale
parts • os frontale
• os temporale – pyramis and • os temporale –squama
mastoid process • os tympanicum
• os sphemnoidale (without • os nasale
medial lamina of pterygoid
process) • os lacrimale
• os ethmoidale • vomer
• inferior nasal concha • medial lamina of pterygoid
process
• maleus, incus stapes
• os palatinum
• styloid process
• os zygomaticum
• hyoid bone
• maxilla
• mandibula (Meckel cartilage)
Anterior aspect

N
S
E
Z
L

Max INC

M
Openings for trigeminal nerve branches and spaces

foramen
supraorbitale
orbit

foramen
pirifom aperture
infraorbitale
anterior nasal spine

foramen
mentale
Norma frontalis
points for measurement

glabella
nasion

zygion

gnathion
Lateral aspect

F
P

N S T
L

Frankfurt plane
Z O

Max

M
 Norma lateralis
bregma points for measurement

glabella
nasion
opisthocranion

zygion

gnathion
Inferior aspect Teeth
Maxilla

palatine bone Z
infreior nasal concha
S
vomer
T
tympanic
styloid
O bone
process P

mastoid
process
Inferior aspect
M
Z
P
S
V
T

O
choana

foramen magnum
Norma basalis
points for measurement

opisthocranion
basion
Calvaria from outside

coronal suture

bregma sagittal suture

lambda

parietal foramen for emissary vein

lambdoid suture
 Norma verticalis euryon
points for measurement

width

glabella lenght opisthocranion

euryon
 Calvaria from inside frontal sinus

sulcus sinus
sagittalis
superioris

sulci arteriae
meningeae mediae

granular foveolae
diploe

sinus x sinus
air filled cavity x vein between dura mater and periosteum or only between dura mater
 Skull – sagittal section - inner surface
groove - sulcus

F
grooves for P
middle
meningeal
artrery

S
INC
O
Max
grooves for
sinuses
M

grooves for branches of cranial nerves

 Skull - midline section - inner surface

N
T
E
S O
V

P
Os sphenoidale

dorsum sellae
lesser wing

greater wing
body (cerebral
orbital
temporal
infratemporal
+sphenomaxilar
surfaces)

pterygoid process
posterior aspect
Sphenoid bone
anterior aspect - schema
„the pilot sits“ in the
lesser wing hypophyseal fossa

greater wing
superior
orbital fissure

foramen rotundum

pterygoid process
sphenoid
rostrum pterygoid canal

sphenoid sinus
 Os sphenoidale - placement

right orbit

ethmoid, frontal,
occipital; parietal,
temporal ethmoid, frontal, zygomatic
Os sphenoidale and maxilla, palatine bone and vomer

pterygomaxillary fissure

perpendicular plate
of the palatine bone vomer
lateral aspect
nasal septum
lateral wall of the nasal cavity
Os sphenoidale –
inferior aspect

Os palatinum

Vomer
Os sphenoidale openings and grooves
aspect from superoposterior left side
optic canal

sulcus prechiasmaticus
fossa hypophysialis
superior orbital fissure
sulcus caroticus

foramen
rotundum

foramen
spinosum

foramen ovale
canalis
pterygoideus
turkish saddle
 Sella turcica anterior clinoid process
(turkish saddle)

hypohysial
fossa sphenoid sinus

dorsum sellae
 Os temporale- lateral aspect

parietal bone

temporale bone - squama

occipital bone

graeter wing of sphenoid

zygomatic bone
 Os temporale inferior aspect - parts

squamous part
petrosal part (pyramis)

zygomatic process

tympanic part

styloid process
mastoid process
 Os temporale -superior aspect
anterior and posterior wall-
grooves of sinuses, nerves and squama
middle meningeal artery

os petrosum – pyramis, inside are:

1) bony labyrinth
2) canalis caroticus
3) canalis nervi facialis
4) canalis musculotubarius
5) canaliculus cochlea
6) aquaeductus vestibuli
7) canaliculus tympanicus (for branch of IX.n)
8) canaliculus chordae tympani (from VII.n)
9) canaliculus mastoideus (for external branch
of X.n.)
Position of the inner ear in petrosal bone

cochlea

canales
semicirculares
(ant., post., lat.)
n.vestibulocochlearis
Os temporale labyrinthus osseus

1-squama
2-porus acusticus int.
n.VII +VIII)
3-sulcus sinus sigmoidei
4-apex pyramidis
5-semicircular canals
 Os temporale cochlea

squama ossis
temporalis

cochlea

impressio n.trigemini antrum

mastoideum
 Os petrosum (pyramis) - posterior wall

apertura externa
aquaeductus vestibuli
fossa subarcuata

Fossa cranii posterior

meatus acusticus internus

(n.VII. a n.VIII.)
sulcus sinus petrosi
inferioris

foramen jugulare
(n.IX., X., a XI.)
canalis nervi hypoglossi
sulcus sinus sigmoidei
 Os petrosum (pyramis) - posterior wall
sulcus
meatus acusticus sinus
internus petrosi apertura externa aquaeductus vestibuli
nerves VII,VIII superioris semicircularendolymphatetic
cochlea canals sac

sulcus sinus incisura jugularis

petrosi inferioris sulcus sinus sigmoidei
(jugular notch) nerves IX,X,XI.
Fundus meatus acustici interni – nerves VII. and VIII.
area n. facialis
facial nerve –n.VII. area
vestibularis
superior
crista transversa

A P

area
vestibularis
inferior
cochlear nerve
right pyramis posterior aspect
 Canalis nervi facialis

1) anterolateraly
2) posterolateraly
greater
3) caudaly petrosal nerve

internal acoustic
meatus

facial nerve (VII.n)

cochlear nerve
vestibular nerve

stylomastoid foramen
Important openings
on the inferior wall
of petrosal bone

petrotympanic fissure
(chorda tympani)

carotid canal
canaliculus mastoideus
(ramus auricularis n.vagi)
internal carotid artery
fossula petrosa
(tympanic nerve)
tympanomastoid fissure
opening of
(ramus auricularis n.vagi)
canaliculus cochleae

jugular fossa
(internal
mastoid foramen
jugular vein)
(emissary vein)
stylomastoid foramen
(facial nerve – VII.n)
 Middle ear cavity (cavum tympani)

Walls Sup.- tegmental wall – tegmen tympani

post. mastoid wall Med.- labyrinthic wall

Lat.- membranous wall (inner ear)
(drum)
ant. - carotic wall

Inf.- jugular wall – jugular vein

Section -
anterobasal wall
of petrosal bone Mastoid Epitympanic
– medial wall of antrum recess
the middle ear
cavity

Facial canal
n. stapedius

Mastoid
aer cells chorda
tympani

Tympanic nerve
(from IX.n)
Tympanic cavity – schematic frontal section
Paries labyrinthicus – anterobasal wall of petrosal bone
Fossa cranii media

Canalis semicircularis
Recessus lateralis
epitympanicus
M I
N. facialis

Fenestra ovalis -
S vestbuli

Membrana
tympani
Promontorium – 1.
convolution of
cochlea

chorda tympani
Fenestra rotunda -
cochleae

Bulbus v. jugularis int.

Os ethmoidale cribriform plate

crista galli

orbital plate
posterior
aspect
bulla
ethmoidale air cells ethmoidalis
(cellulae ethmoidales)
processus uncinatus

concha nasalis media perpendicular plate

 Maxilla

frontal process

zygomatic process
tuber maxillae

corpus maxillae
(body) alveolar process
 Maxilla

palatine process
praemaxilla
(os incisivum)
Maxilla

maxillary sinus
 Mandible lateral aspect mandibular notch
condylar
coronoid process process

alveolar
process

mental
protuberance

ramus
mandibulae

corpus mandibulae
Mandible
anterolateral view
mandibular foramen

pterygoid
tuberosity

pterygoid fossa

masseteric
tuberosity

mental foramen
 mandibular foramen

sublingual fossa mylohyoid line

mylohyoid groove

submandibular fossa
Mandible of Karel IV.

Post traumatic changes A-C

Correction of the occlusion
Skull of a newborn

Lenght 11 cm
Circumference 34 cm

Fonticulus anterior
it closes in 2-3 years
Lenght 11 cm
Circumference 34 cm

fontanellae = fonticuli cranii

Fontanella major
(it closes in 2. or 3.year)

Fontanella minor
(it closes in 3.month)
Fonticulus minor

Tuber
parietale

Fonticulus major

Tuber
frontale
Tuber
Sutura metopica Fonticulus major

Symphysis menti Angulus mandibulae

Fonticulus
sphenoidalis

Sutura
mendosa
Fonticulus
angulus mandibulae Anulus tympanicus
mastoideus
 Synchondrosis Fonticulus
Synchondrosis sphenooccipitalis intraoccipitalis mastoideus
anterior

Symphysis menti

Synchondrosis
intraoccipitalis
posterior
Craniosynostoses
tuber frontale sutura metopica
fonticulus anterior
sutura coronalis

tuber parietale sutura sagittalis

premature
closure of cranial
sutures fonticulus posterior
sutura lambdoidea

dolichocephaly
trigonocephaly (scaphocephaly)

brachycephaly
posterior plagiocephaly
anterior
plagiocephaly
 Skull of a newborn
Big neurocranium
Small splanchnocranium
Prominent tubera frontalia et parietalia (centers of ossification)
Fonticuli cranii
Possible movement among bones of the calvaria
Paranasal sinuses are not fully developed
Os frontale divided by a suture
Suture between maxilla and premaxilla
Symphysis menti
Angle of mandible -150-160 degree
Os tympanicum – anulus tympanicus
X-ray skull of a newborn
Lenticular left parietal calvarial mass-like lesion with
peripheral sclerosis/calcification and central lucency.
The lesion does not cross suture lines

Subperiosteal cephalohematoma.
 Cranial nerves !!!
• I. nn. olfactorii
• II. n. opticus
• III. n. oculomotorius
• IV. n. trochlearis
• V. n. trigeminus 1.ophthalmicus
• 2.maxillaris
• 3.mandibularis
• VI. n. abducens
• VII. n. facialis
• VIII. n. vestibulocochlearis
• IX. n. glossopharyngeus
• X. n. vagus
• XI. n. accessorius
• XII. n. hypoglossus
Development
of the face

1- maxillary process 1
2-mandibular process 3 2
3-second branchial arch
Development
of the face

3
I 1
II 2
1-maxillary process
2- mandibular process
3-medial nasal process
4-lateral nasal process
stadium 12 stadium 13 stadium 15

4 3

2
 Development of the face
prominentia internasal
nasofrontalis groove

maxillar
process
oropharyngeal
membrane

4 weeks 5 weeks 5,5 weeks

7 weeks 9 weeks
6 weeks
 Development of palate and nasal septum and nose

medial nasal process internasal groove

lateral nasal
process

maxillar
process

primary palate
nasal septum
palatine process
 Development of the palatine processes
nasal septum

tongue
palatine process
Meckel palatine
cartilage process
 Sources

• Čihák, Anatomie 1
• Gray, Anatomy
• Petrovický a spol., Anatomie 1
• Sobotta , Atlas anatomie člověka
• Ten Donkelaar, Lohmann en Moorman, Klinische
Anatomie en Embryologie
• Thieme, Atlas of Anatomy
• http://anat.lf1.cuni.cz/muzeum/kranio.html
• Personal archiv