Wormian bones: shape, location and relation to each other

The material of the study was the skull of an 8-year-old girl. In the cranioscopy, the following were identified: on the right side, the bone of the sphenoid fontanel or epipteric bone; bones of lambdoid suture - on the right side in the amount of 5, on the left side -1 bone; preinterparietal bone, ospreinterparietale.By the craniometric method, the height and width of the bones were determined. The bone of the sphenoid fontanelle or epipteric bone is located between the frontal, parietal bones, the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, and the squama of the temporal bone. The width of the epipteric bone is 16.5 mm, height 9.5 mm. The bones of the lambdoid suture in the amount of 5 on the right and the 1st on the left were located in an elongated state.The largest bone was located in the middle of the right lambdoid suture; apparently, it was formed by the union of at least two Wormian bones. Preinterparietal bone has a triangular shape, the base of the triangle facing the sagittal suture, the tip, slightly rounded - in the direction of the occipital bone. The lateral angles of the preinterparietal bone are serrated, which, in principle, clearly distinguishes it from the parietal bones. The bone was single, no sutures or grooves dividing the preinterparietal bone into parts were observed. The width of the bone is 18.5 mm, height 13.8 mm.

A STUDY ON THE OCCURRENCE OF WORMIAN BONES IN ADULT DRY SKULLS

Background: Sutural or wormian bones are islands of bone that are commonly found in the sutures of the skull mainly along the lambdoid suture. These sutural bones which are irregular in size, shape and number may arise from separate centres of ossification. The prior knowledge about the Wormian bones is important because they are present in normal individuals as well as in various disorders such as osteogenesis imperfect, rickets, etc. Aim: To study the occurence of wormian bones in adult dry skulls Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out on 95 adult dry human skulls in the department of Anatomy, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, B G Nagara. Skulls with fractures and deformities were excluded from the study. Intact skulls were cleaned thoroughly and observed for the presence of wormian bones along the sutures of skull. Results: Out of 95 skull bones studied, 24 (25.26%) skulls showed the presence of wormian bones. We also observed that maximum number of such bones (single or multiple) were present along the lambdoid suture followed by lambda, asterion, sagittal suture & coronal suture. A very small wormian bone was also found near the bregma of the skull. Conclusion: The awareness about the occurrence of wormian bones and their topographical distribution will guide the clinicians mainly neurosurgeons in their practice. These bones mimic fracture lines in radiograph; therefore radiologists must also be aware of this normal variation. KEY WORDS: Wormian bone, Lambdoid suture, skull.

Existence of Enlarged Parietal Foramina in Bone Collections

Introduction The enlarged parietal foramen (EPF) is a defect in the ossification of the parietal bone that is well described in the literature using a variety of nomenclatures. Individuals with EPF can present symptoms such as migraines, vomiting and intense pain when light pressure is applied to the skull. However, it can go unnoticed for a lifetime. Materials and Methods At the Human Bone Collection department of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 2 craniums (CAV 90, 96 years old and CAV 16, 81 years old) and were identified as having EPF, both from females. Results There was no apparent kinship between both craniums. The sagittal length, the coronal width, the sagittal suture distance, the coronal suture distance and the lambdoid suture distance of each enlarged parietal foramen were evaluated, with the following results: sagittal length: 5.5 cm (CAV 90), and 5.0 cm (CAV 16); coronal width: 3.1 cm (CAV 90),and 3.4 cm (CAV 16); sagittal suture distance: 2.9 cm (CAV 90), and 2.3 cm (CAV 16); coronal suture distance: 1.8 cm (CAV 90), and 4.6 cm (CAV 16); and lambdoid suture distance: 5.0 cm (CAV 90), and 3.0 cm (CAV 16). The parietal foramen of both craniums exhibited equivalent measurements. Conclusion Due to the low incidence of EPF, the identification of the 2 craniums with this condition in a collection of 105 skeletons makes the discovery relevant. In reference to craniums exhibiting EPF, this is an important tool for study and forensic research, since its appearance is linked to heredity.