Growth and

Development
GROWTH OF CRANIAL BASE AND CRANIAL VAULT
 OUTLINE…
• Introduction
• Cranial base –
• Prenatal growth
• Postnatal growth
• Cranial vault
• Prenatal growth
• Postnatal growth
• Clinical implications
 GROWTH

PRE-NATAL POST-NATAL
• Male germ cells – Spermatozoa.
• Female germ cells – Ova
• FERTILIZATION involves fusion of female and male germ cells.
• Fertilized egg undergoes series of divisions to form a ball of cells
called MORULA.
 PRE – NATAL LIFE
PERIOD OF PERIOD OF PERIOD OF
OVUM EMBRYO FETUS

From fertilization to 2 From 2 weeks to 56th day 56th day of intra-uterine

weeks of intra-uterine life life till birth

Accelerated growth of
Cleavage of ovum and craniofacial structures
Development of cranial
attachment of ovum to and change in proportion
and facial region occurs
intra-uterine wall occurs among various structures
occurs
 Around 4th to 8th week of intra-uterine life
Mesenchyme
around the
developing brain

Ectomeningeal
capsule/
Ectomenix

Basal portion –
CRANIAL BASE
 DURAMATER
CRANIAL
ECTOMENINX
BASE
SUPERFICIAL
MEMBRANE
CRANIAL
VAULT
 Cranial Base
-Pre Natal and Post Natal growth
 PRENATAL GROWTH OF CRANIAL BASE
• Formation of cranial base is seen at 4th to 8th week of intra-uterine life
• Cranial base develops mostly by ENDOCHONDRAL BONE FORMATION.
• The capsule formed around the brain is called ECTOMENIX or
ECTOMENINGEAL CAPSULE
• The basal portion of this capsule gives rise to cranial base.
• Cartilaginous skeletal development occurs in the 3rd month
• Ossification starts in the 4th month .
 PRENATAL GROWTH OF CRANIAL BASE
• Bones of the cranial base undergo both
endochondral as well as intramembranous
bone formation – around 110 ossification
centers
• Predominantly endochondral bone formation
• Occipital bone - 7 centers
• 2 intramembranous ossification sites
• 5 endochondral ossification sites
• Temporal bone – 21 centers
• 5 intramembranous ossification sites
• 16 endochondral ossification sites
• Ethmoid bone – 3 centers
• 3 endochondral ossification sites
• Sphenoid bone – 18 centers
• 4 intramembranous ossification sites
• 14 endochondral ossification sites
CRANIAL BASE FLEXURE
 PRENATAL GROWTH –CRANIAL BASE
• Highly Uneven
• Anterior cranial base increases its length
and width by 7 folds between the 10th and 40th week of intrauterine life
• Posterior cranial base grows only 5 folds
 POSTNATAL GROWTH – CRANIAL BASE
• Expansion of cranial base occurs by

1. Growth of the cartilage remnants of the chondrocranium

(Synchondrosis)

2. Forces from developing brain (affecting sutural growth)

3. Extensive Remodeling and cortical drift

FOSSA ENLARGEMENT
 FOSSA ENLARGEMENT

• Fossa expands outward by resorption

• Partitions between them enlarge inward by
deposition
 SYNCHONDROSIS
• Synchondrosis is defined as the development of a union between two
bones by the formation of cartilage (usually hyaline cartilage ).

• A synchondrosis is usually temporary and exists during the growing

phase until the intervening cartilage becomes progressively thinner
during skeletal maturation and ultimately becomes obliterated and
converted into bone before adult life.

• They are important for growth of cranial base

 SYNCHONDROSIS

FRONTO-ETHMOIDAL SYNCHONDROSIS

SPHENO-ETHMOIDAL SYNCHONDROSIS

INTER-SPHENOIDAL SYNCHONDROSIS

SPHENO-OCCIPITAL SYNCHONDROSIS
SYNCHONDROSIS
 SPHENO-OCCIPITAL SYNCHONDROSIS
• Major contributor in the postnatal growth
• Fuses at ( active growth )
• 12-13 years in girls
• 14-15 years in boys
• Ossifies at 20 years of age
 The size, shape and characteristics of cranial base

• Direct association with brain

Expansion of the middle cranial
fossa

• Secondary displacement effect

with anterior cranial floor &
naso- maxillary complex
 CRANIAL VAULT-
PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL
GROWTH
GROWTH OF BONES OF THE CRANIAL VAULT
• Cranial vault is made up of a number of flat bones formed directly by
intramembranous bone formation.
• Growth process is entirely the result of periosteal activity at the
surfaces of the bone
• Remodelling and growth occurs at periosteal lined areas between the
bones (cranial sutures)
 PRENATAL GROWTH OF CRANIAL VAULT
• Frontal Bone - Primary center : Super
ciliary arch
• Parietal bone - Region of Parietal
eminence
• Occipital bone (Squamous part) -Just
above superior nuchal line
• Temporal bone (Squamous part) -Root of
zygoma

*center of initiation of ossification for cranial vault

 FONTANELLES
• At birth, the flat bones are separated
by loose connective tissue

• Open spaces - FONTANELLES

• Anterior Fontanelles (open
till 1.5yrs)
• Posterior Fontanelles (close
by 3 months after birth)
• Sphenoid Fontanelles
• Mastoid Fontanelles
POSTNATAL GROWTH OF CRANIAL VAULT
• Related to growth of the brain
• Grows upto 5th year of life.
 Post Natal CRANIAL VAULT GROWTH

• Growth of the skull roof is provided by sutural responses to the

expansion of the enclosed brain
• Brain growth is largely completed in early childhood
• Cranial vault is one of the first to achieve full size, though the sutures
are patent for some time after the growth is over
REMODELLING
 CLINICAL
IMPLICATIONS
 CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
DISTORTION OF HEAD DURING BIRTH
SYNOSTOSIS CONDITIONS
• HYDROCEPHALY
• ANENCEPHALY
• MICROCEPHALY
 HEAD TYPES:
• Configuration of
neurocranium determines a
person’s head form type
- DOLICHOCEPHALIC
- BRACHYCEPHALIC
- MESOCEPHALIC
DEFICIENT GROWTH AT SYNCHONDROSIS :
ACHONDROPLASIA
•thank you !!!!!