High Incidence of Sutural Bones, Especially at the Asterion -A South Indian Study

Abstract

Background: The sutural or wormian bones are small bones that are frequently found within the sutures and fontanelles of the skull. They are often considered to be a simple anatomical variant. They are most commonly located in the lambdoid suture, second highest site for sutural bones being lambda with least incidence at bregma. Material and Methods: In the present study, twenty seven adult human skulls were examined for the presence of these bones. Results: Among the 27 skulls studied, 24 (88.8%) skulls had sutural bones and 3 skulls were without any sutural bones. Asterion was the commonest region of the skull to have sutural bones. Conclusions: It is essential for neurosurgeons and radiologists to be aware of the occurrence of sutural bones as they may be misguided for fractures in cases of head injuries. Therefore, this study may be useful to the neurosurgeons, radiologist, and anthropologists.

Keywords

• sutural bones
• cranium
• asterion
• lambda
• bregma
• anatomical variant