CRANIOFACIAL OSTEOLOGY

Learning outcomes:
Identify the cranial and facial
bones
Describe the features of
cranial and facial bones
Describe the features in
different views of skull
Describe the features of
cranial cavity
Name the structures passing
through the foramina of skull
Identify the fontanels in
foetal skull
 Skull consists of
cranial vault and facial
skeleton
Cranial vault or cranium
Encloses & protects the
brain
Provides attachment site for
head & neck muscles
Facial skeleton
Form the framework of face
Anchors the facial muscles
Cranium / cranial vault
Has a dome like roof calvaria
Floor cranial base
Formed by 8 bones
Frontal
Ethmoid Singular bones
Sphenoid
Occipital
Temporal Ear ossicles within
Paired bones
Parietal temporal bone
Most of the bones are united by fibrous
interlocking sutures
Facial skeleton
Forms the anterior part of the cranium
Consists of bones surrounding the mouth, nose
and most of orbit
Consists of 14 irregular bones
Mandible Singular bones
Vomer
Maxilla
Inferior nasal concha
Paired bones
Zygomatic
Palatine
Nasal
Lacrimal bone
And Hyoid bone in the neck
Cranial and facial subdivisions of the skull
Skull bones are joined by sutures
Superior aspect of the cranium

Bregma Point
of intersection
of coronal and
sagittal sutures
Vertex
Topmost point
of cranium
Facial aspect of the cranium

Frontal
 Bony orbit Roof
-Lesser wing of sphenoid
-Orbital plate of frontal bone

Medial wall
-Body of sphenoid
-Orbital plate of ethmoid
-Frontal pr. of maxilla
-Lacrimal bone

Floor
Lateral wall
-Orbital pr. of palatine bone
-Zygomatic pr. of Frontal bone
-Orbital surface of maxilla
-Greater wing of sphenoid
-Zygomatic bone
-Frontal pr. of zygomatic bone
 Piriform aperture -
anterior nasal Nasal bone
opening of the
cranium Perpendicular

Nasal septum
Nasal septum divide plate of
ethmoid
the nasal cavity into
right and left parts Vomer
Inferior nasal
concha
 Paranasal sinuses
Hollow portions of bones surrounding the nasal
cavity
Functions of paranasal sinuses:
Lighten the skull
Give resonance and amplification to voice
 Lateral aspect of Cranium
Pterion meeting point of 4 bones. Pterion fracture is life threatening as
it overlies the anterior branches of middle meningeal vessels.

Parietal
Frontal

Temporal

Mandible
Temporal fossa
Is a shallow
depression on the side
of the skull bounded
by the temporal lines
and terminating below
the level of the
zygomatic arch.
Infratemporal fossa

The infratemporal
fossa is an irregularly
shaped cavity,
situated below and
medial ( deep) to the
zygomatic arch
 Posterior aspect of cranium

Superior nuchal line

Marking of the superior limit
of the neck
Extends laterally from the
external occipital protuberance
Inferior nuchal line less
Superior & distinct
inferior nuchal Lambda junction of sagittal &
line
lambdoid sutures.

External occipital protuberance: bump on the external

surface of the occipital bone.
External occipital crest: serrated outgrowth of the
occipital bone, crossing it from top to bottom.
Skull base
 Interior of skull base (cranial cavity)

Anterior cranial fossa

Superior orbital fissure Middle cranial fossa

Hypophyseal fossa

Posterior cranial fossa

 Foramina at the skull base
Foramen cecum
Optic canal optic nerve
Superior orbital fissure III , IV and VI cranial nerves
Inferior orbital fissure
Foramen rotundum maxillary nerve
Foramen ovale mandibular nerve
Foramen spinosum middle meningeal artery
Foramen lacerum
Jugular foramen IX, X and XI cranial nerves
Carotid canal internal carotid artery
Internal acoustic meatus VII and VIII cranial nerves
Hypoglossal canal hypoglossal nerve
Stylomastoid foramen facial nerve exits
Foramen magnum
Frontal bone

Orbital
surface
Parietal bones
Temporal bones
Occipital bone
Sphenoid bone
Lesser wing

Greater
Body wing
Ethmoid bone
 Maxilla Forms the upper jaw and the central part
of the facial skeleton
Alveolar margin contain teeth

Palatine process
Orbital
project medially from Zygomatic surface
Frontal
process procss
the alveolar margin to
form anterior part of
hard palate

Frontal process forms Infraorbital

part of the bridge of foramen
nose

Maxilla contain maxillary

air sinuses largest of Alveolar
paranasal sinuses margin
 Forms the lower jaw and strongest
Mandible bone in the face
Parts: Body- horizontal Mandibular angle point where
Ramus- vertical ramus meets the body
posteriorly
Body :
Alveolar margin
Mandibular foramen
Lingula
Mental foramen
Symphysis menti
Mylohyoid line
Mylohyoid groove
Submandibular
fossa
Submental fossa
 Mandible
Ramus :
Coronoid process
Condylar process or
head of mandible
Neck of mandible
Pterygoid fovea
Mandibular notch
Hyoid bone

The only bone that

does not articulate
with another bone
Serves as a
moveable base for
the tongue
 Foetal skull
Fontanel - Soft spots
in the foetal skull
covered with fibrous
membrane. They allow
molding of foetal skull
during passage through
the birth canal

Six fontanels present at the junction

of cranial bones.
Anterior or frontal (1)
Posterior or occipital (1)
Anteriorolateral or sphenoidal (2)
Posterolateral or mastoidal (2)
Facial fractures can occur in
any of the face's bones.
This includes:
Maxillary fractureupper
jaw area
Le Fort fracturefracture
of the upper jaw area and
other facial structure, like
nasal and oral cavities and
orbits (classified I-V
depending on the specific
bones involved)
Mandible fracturelower
jaw fracture
Zygomatic fracture
cheekbone fracture
 Fractures may be classified by their severity and tissue
involvement.
A greenstick fracture is one in which one side of the bone is
broken and the other side is bent.
A simple fracture is a break in the bone that does not produce an
open wound in the skin.
A compound fracture is a break in the bone with an external
wound extending to the bone.
 An estimation of sex can often be determined through
analysis of the skull (cranium and mandible) and post-
cranial skeleton.
Typically male features are more pronounced and marked
than the female features
Major differences between the female and male skull
include the posterior of the cranium (the occipital),
robustest of the brow-ridge, mastoid process, nuchal
crest, temporal lines, and mandible.
The mandible of a female cranium tends to have a
"pointed" chin. The area around the angle is smooth and
does not project. The male mandible tends to have a
"square" shape and in extreme case the area around the
angle is "flared".
The dentition (teeth) of males is frequently larger