What is skull? Write the bones of the skull, skull joints ,anatomical position of the skull and it's method of study of the skull ?

                                                                   Skull 

The skeleton of the head is called the skull. It consists of several bones that are joined together to form the cranium. The term skull also includes the mandible or lower jaw which is a separate bane. However, the two terms skull and cranium, are often used synonymously.

The skull can be divided into two main parts.

a. The calvaria of brain box  is the upper part of the  cranium which encloses the brain.

b. The facial skeleton constitutes the rest of the skull and includes the mandible.

    

Reference:

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Bones of the Skull 

The skull consists of the 28 bones which are named as follows:

a. The calvarią or brain case is composed of 14 bones including 3 paired ear ossicles.

Paired                                             Unpaired

1. Parietal (2)                              1. Frontal (1)

2. Temporal  (2)                         2. Occipital (1)

 3. Malleus (2)                            3. Sphenoid (1)

4. Incus (2)                                 4. Ethmoid (1)

5. Stapes 

b. The facial skeleton is composed of 14 bones.

 Paired                                           Unpaired

1. Maxilla (2)                              1. Mandible (1)

2. Zygomatic (2)                          2. Vomer (1)

3. Nasal (2)

4. Lacrimal (2)

5. Palatine (2)

6. Inferior Nasal Concha(2)

                                                       Skull Joints 

The joints in the skull are mostly sutures, a few primary cartilaginous joints and three pairs of synovial joints. Two pairs of synovial joints are present between the ossicles of middle ear. One pair is the largest temporo-mandibular joint. This mobile joint permits us to speak ,eat, drink and laugh.

Sutures are :

Plane             - internasal suture

Serrate            -coronal suture

Denticulate    - Lambdoid suture

Squamous       -parietotemporal suture

                                           Anatomical Position of the Skull

The skull can be placed in proper orientation by considering any one of the two planes.

1. Reid's base line is a horizontal line obtained by joining the infraorbital  margin to the center of  external acoustic meatus.  i.e. auricular point.

2.  The Frankfurt's horizontal plane of orientation is obtained by joining the infraorbital margin  to the upper margin of the external acoustic meats.

Reference:

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                                             Methods of study of the Skull   

The skull can be studied as a whole.

The whole skull can be studied from the outside or externally in different views:

a. Superior view or norma verticalis.

b. Posterior view or norma occipitalis.

c. Anterior view or norma frontalis.

d. Lateral view or norma lateralis.

e. Inferior view or norma basalis.

The whole skull can be studied from the inside or internally after removing the roof of the calvaria or skull cap:

•           Internal surface of the cranial vault
•     Internal surface of the cranial base which shows a natural subdivision into anterior , middle and posterior cranial fossae

The skull can also be studied as individual bones.

      

References:      

            BD  Chaurasia's  Anatomy  of 

              Head and neck

   Chief   Editors: 

                     Krishna Garg , Pragati Sheel Mittal,

                        Mrudula.     

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About Author:

Iqra Naeem (PT)

Doctor of physical Therapy