Names of the cranial sutures
Feb 15, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Guan Yanlei
Introduction
The cranial sutures refer to the fibrous joints between the bones of the skull. There are four major sutures on the skull, arranged from front to back: the frontal suture, coronal suture, sagittal suture, and lambdoid suture. Cranial sutures, a term in anatomy, are narrow joints formed between skull bones connected by minimal amounts of connective tissue. These four sutures—frontal, coronal, sagittal, and lambdoid—run sequentially from anterior to posterior. The development and growth of infants can generally be assessed by examining the cranial sutures and fontanelles.
The cranial sutures refer to the fibrous joints between the bones of the skull. There are four major sutures on the skull, arranged from front to back: the frontal suture, coronal suture, sagittal suture, and lambdoid suture.
Cranial sutures are anatomical terms describing the fibrous joints formed between adjacent skull bones, connected by a small amount of connective tissue. There are four such sutures on the skull: the frontal, coronal, sagittal, and lambdoid sutures. Clinically, a child's growth and development can be monitored by examining the cranial sutures and fontanelles. Physicians can assess intracranial pressure by palpating the tension of the fontanelle. The fontanelle should normally be flat and firm. A bulging fontanelle may indicate increased intracranial pressure. In such cases, imaging techniques such as CT or MRI scans may be required to evaluate brain structure. Surgical intervention might be necessary to relieve elevated pressure.
The frontal suture typically closes between 3 and 9 months of age, usually without any abnormal manifestations. The remaining cranial sutures do not close until craniofacial growth is complete in adulthood. The sagittal suture may never fully fuse, while the coronal and lambdoid sutures generally close around the age of 30 to 40 years. Premature closure of any of these sutures—especially when accompanied by abnormal skull shape—indicates craniosynostosis.
