Parietal bone

Shape: Quadrilateral
Type: Flat (morphologically), axial (according to location), membranous (according to
ossification), mesodermal (according to source of development)
Location: Superolateral aspect of the skull
Structure of a flat bone:
1. Outer table of compact bone
2. Middle diploe of spongy bone
3. Inner table of compact bone
Middle diploe of spongy bone contains marrow spaces. These marrow spaces
contain red bone marrow throughout life. Hemopoiesis occurs in red bone
marrow of marrow spaces of spongy bone.
Inner table is soft and more brittle than outer table.
Gross features:
4 borders:
1. Anterior/frontal/coronal border- articulates with frontal bone to from coronal
suture. It is serrate type of suture.
2. Posterior/occipital/lambdoid border- articulates with occipital bone to from
lambdoid suture. It is dentate type of suture.
3. Superior/sagittal border-articulates with opposite parietal bone to from
sagittal suture. It is serrate type of suture.
a. Inner aspect of this border
i. Superior sagittal sulcus.
1. This sulcus contains superior sagittal sinus.
2. The margin of the sulcus gives attachment to falx
cerebri.
ii. Arachnoid pit or fovea are present close to this sulcus.
1. These pits contain arachnoid granulutions.
2. Arachnoid granulutions are collections of arachnoid
villi.
3. Arachnoid villi and granulutions help in CSF
absorption.
b. Outer aspect of this border
i. Parietal foramen-Transmits emissary vein.
ii. Obelion
4. Inferior/squmosal border-articulates with 2 bones to form 3 sutures.
a. Anterior part-articulates with greater wing of sphenoid to form a
squamous type of suture.
b. Middle part-articulates with squamous part of temporal bone to form
parietotemporal suture, a squamous type of suture.
c. Posterior part-articulates with mastoid part of temporal bone to for
parietomastoid suture, a limbus type of suture.
4 angles:
1. anterosuperior/frontal angle-also called bregma.
2. posterosuperior/occipital angle-also called lambda.
3. anteroinferior/sphenoidal angle-also called pterion.
 a. Inner aspect of this angle is marked by groove for frontal/anterior division
of middle meningeal artery.
4. posteroinferior/mastoid angle-also called asterion.
a. Inner aspect of this angle is marked by sigmoid sulcus.
b. Sigmoid sulcus contains sigmoid sinus.
2 surfaces:
1. Outer/external surface
 This surface is convex. It has following features:
i. Parietal eminence/tuber/tuberosity
ii. Superior temporal line-this line provides attachment of epicranial
aponeurosis/galea aponeurotica and temporal fascia.
iii. Inferior temporal line-this line limits attachment to temporal
fascia. The area below this line gives attachment to temporalis
muscle.
iv. Parietal foramen
v. Obelion
2. Inner/internal surface
 This surface is concave. It presents following features:
i. Groove for anterior/frontal division and posterior/parietal division
of middle meningeal artery.
ii. Superior sagittal sulcus (Groove for superior sagittal sinus)
iii. Arachnoid pit/fovea
iv. Sigmoid sulcus

Importance of parietal eminence/tuber/tuberosity:

1. It is the commonest site of fracture of this bone.
2. Ossification of this bone starts here.
3. It is used for measuring BPD.
4. Wernicke’s sensory speech area is located below parietal tuber/tuberosity.

Importance of pterion:
1. Broca’s motor speech area is located below pterion.

Ossification:
The parietal bone is ossified in membrane from a single center, which appears at the
parietal eminence about the eighth week of fetal life. Ossification gradually extends
in a radial manner from the center toward the margins of the bone; the angles are
consequently the parts last formed, and it is here that the fontanelles exist.

Side determination:
1. Outer surface is convex and smooth.
2. Inner surface is concave and shows vascular markings.
3. Anteroinferior angle is pointed, thin and internally marked by groove for anterior
division of middle meningeal artery.