Contents
The skull is an elaborate structure consisting primarily of bone and, to a lesser extent, of cartilage. The skull forms the skeleton of the head, which is the natural cover of the brain and other organs located within the head against potential mechanical injuries and the external environment. Human skull bones develop from fetal life until they reach full adulthood. The most intense growth of the skull bones occurs during the first three years of life. In the following years, the rate of their growth decreases.
Structure and functions of the skull bones
The skull bones can be divided depending on their location. For humans and most primates, the bones of the skull fall into two general groups. These are the skull and the facial skeleton. The brain is the bone that touches the tissues that make up the brain. Its shape can be described as a “box”, within which one can distinguish the cranial vault, the lower part (called the base of the skull) and the front, back and side walls.
Cerebral bones
The bones that make up the skull are flat bones, connected mostly by permanent, immobile sutures; some, on the other hand, combine synchondroses, which ossify over time. The following are distinguished among the bones of the skull:
- frontal bone,
- temporal bones (two),
- parietal bones (two),
- occipital bones,
- sphenoid bone,
- ethmoid bone.
Facial bones
The craniofacial bones also play a protective role, protecting the organs: pattern, smell and taste against potential mechanical damage and the external environment. In addition, the craniofacial bones surround the upper parts of the respiratory and digestive tract.
The bones that build the facial skeleton include:
- nasal bones (two),
- lacrimal bones,
- bones of the lower nasal turbinates (two),
- share,
- jaw bones (two),
- jaw bones,
- palate bones (two),
- zygomatic bones (two),
- hyoid bones.
The movable parts of the facial skeleton are the mandibular bone and the hyoid bone.
It is worth mentioning that the details of the skull bone structure differ depending on the origin of a particular person, his sex, age, and other individual predispositions.
Skull bones – injuries and diseases
As in the case of other parts of the human skeletal system, the bones of the skull are vulnerable to potential injuries and damage. Most often, they occur as a result of a sudden hitting of the head against a corner or a hard surface. The most common fractures of the skull bones include:
- craniofacial fractures,
- fractures within the skull, which in turn are divided into:
- fractures of the skull vault,
- fractures of the base of the skull.
Fractures of the skull bones that affect both major bone groups are called combination fractures. Moreover, fractures of the skull bones can be classified according to two other important criteria. First, open or closed fractures are distinguished, depending on whether the bone tissue comes into contact with the external environment as a result of the trauma, for example due to a broken skin.
Secondly, fractures of the skull are divided into stable and unstable bones. In the case of stable fractures – also known as linear fractures – there is no displacement of bone fragments. In the case of unstable fractures – known as recessed fractures – bone fragments are displaced, most often into the inside of the skull.
It should be noted that any fractures and fractures of the bones that build the skull are extremely dangerous, especially in the case of bones belonging to the skull. When they break, there is a risk of causing brain swelling, bleeding into the brain, or an intracranial hematoma. Each of these situations is a threat to human health and life.
How to recognize a fracture of the skull bones?
Symptoms indicating a fracture within the skull bone can be divided into two categories: obvious and non-obvious symptoms. The first of these do not differ significantly from the symptoms of fractures in other parts of the skeleton. First of all, the following should be mentioned:
- bleeding from the site of the injury
- visible hematomas,
- leakage of other fluids from the wound,
- pain at the site of the injury,
- edema.
Non-obvious symptoms suggesting a fracture of the skull bone include:
- Headache,
- nausea, vomiting
- vision problems, blurry vision
- stiff neck,
- concentration disorders,
- problems with maintaining balance,
- disturbance of spatial orientation,
- thinking problems, confusion,
- incorrect behavior of the pupils in contact with light.
In the area of the bones of the skull, diseases can also develop, most often neoplasms. They usually develop through metastasis from other organs. Most often, they arise as a result of lung, breast, nasopharyngeal, neck or prostate tumors.
The neoplasms located within the bones of the skull include chondrosarcomas and osteosarcomas. Both groups of neoplasms are extremely malignant and difficult to treat.