Lecture 5: Cranial Bones
Dr. Dana Al Mousa
Cranial Bones
Cranium
•Parietal Bone
•Frontal Bone
•Ethmoid Bone
•Sphenoid Bone
•Occipital Bone
•Temporal Bone
Sutures
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Cranium
The cranium is composed of eight bones that surround and protect the
brain. These bones include the parietal (2), frontal (1), ethmoid (1),
sphenoid (1), occipital (1) and temporal (2) bones
The base of the cranium houses three fossae called the Anterior cranial
fossa formed by the frontal bone, ethomoid bone and lesser wings of
the sphenoid bone
Middle cranial fossa: formed by the temporal bone and body of
sphenoid
Posterior cranial fossa: formed by the temporal and occipital bones and
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houses the cerebellum and brain stem
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Parietal Bone
•It is the largest cranial bone
•The superior point between the parietal bones is known as the vertex
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Frontal Bone
Consists of horizontal and vertical portions
A. The vertical (squamous) portion forms the forehead and anterior vault of the
cranium and contains the frontal sinuses
B. The horizontal portion forms the roof of each orbit (orbital plate) and
majority of the anterior cranial fossa
• Ethmoidal notch is an area between the two orbital plates which
receives the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone
• Supraorbital notch (foramen): on the superior portion of each orbit
(passage of nerves and arteries)
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Ethmoid bone
It is the smallest cranial bone
Located in the anterior cranial fossa
It consists of four portions:
Horizontal (or cribriform plate)
The crista galli projects superiorly from the cribriform (attaches the falx cerebri to the
anterior crania fossa)
Vertical (or the perpendicular plate)
Projects inferiorly from the cribriform plate to form part of the nasal septum
Two lateral masses
Form part of the orbital plates and contain ethmoid air cells
Superior and middle nasal conchae project inferiorly from the lateral masses
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Ethmoid bone
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Ethmoid bone
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Sphenoid Bone
Forms the majority of the base of the skull and articulates with
occipital, temporal, parietal, frontal and ethmoid bones
It consists of the body, 2 lesser wings and 2 large wings
The sella turcica is a deep depression within the body of the sphenoid
bone
Below the sella turcica lie the sphenoid sinuses
The anterior portion of the sella is known as tuberculum sella (TS)
The posterior portion of the sella is known as dorsum sella (DS)
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Sphenoid Bone
The posterior clinoid processes arise from the dorsum sella while the
anterior clinoid processes arise from the lesser wings
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Extending from the inferior surface of each greater wing is the
pterygoid process which divides into lateral and medial plates
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Occipital Bone
Forms the posterior cranial fossa and the inferoposterior portion of the
cranium
The inferior surface has the foramen magnum
The occipital bone can be divided into four portions
•Two lateral condyles: project inferiorly to articulate with the atlas (C1 vertebra) to
form the atlanto-occipital joint
–Basilar portion: forms the anterior margin of the foramen magnum and slopes
anteriorly and superiorly to meet with the dorsum sella of the sphenoid bone to form
the clivus
–Squamous portion: extends posterosuperiorly from the foramen magnum to articulate
with the parietal and temporal bones
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Squamous portion
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Temporal Bone
It has four main portions:
A. Squamous
1. Zygomatic process
2. Articular tubercle
B. Tympanic: lies below the squamous and forms the majority of the external
auditory meatus
C. Mastoid : Posterior to the tympanic portion
D. Petrous: situated at an angle between the occipital and sphenoid bones.
It contains
• the internal auditory canal IAC , which transmit the 7th and 8th cranial
nerves
• jugular foramen, and
• carotid canal
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Sutures
Squamous suture (connects the temporal bone with parietal bone)
Coronal suture (connects the frontal bone with parietal bones)
Sagittal suture (connects the two parietal bones)
Lambdoidal suture (connects the occipital bone with the parietal bones)
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Fontanels
Six areas of incomplete ossification
1) 1 Anterior fontanel (bregma) : the largest (between the
upper parietal and frontal bones)
2) 1 Posterior fontanel (Lambda): the junction of the
parietal and occipital bones
3) 2 anterolateral (between the parietal & greater wings
of sphenoid)
4) 2 posterolateral (mastoid) between the junction of the
occipital, temporal, and parietal bones
