Head and Neck

Prof. Dr. Abdelrazek A. Sheta

Professor of Anatomy &
Embryology


The skull is
composed
of 21 bones
joined
together by
sutures.
The Skull
For simplicity, the bone
of the head can be
divided into 3 essential
parts: the cranium, face
skeleton and the
mandible.
The cranium is the bony
box enclosing the brain.
It has a base and a
vault. The vault is the
arched roof of the skull.
The Skull
The vault (superior aspect) of the skull
Composed of 3 bones, frontal, 2 parietal
and occipital.
Sutures of the vault:
Coronal: between frontal and parietal
bones.
Sagittal: in the midline between the 2
parietal bones.
Lambdoid: between occipital and the 2
parietal bones.
The vault (superior aspect) of the skull
Other features in the vault:
1- Bregma (anterior fontanel).
2- Vertex: the highest point on the sagittal
suture.
3- Frontal eminence: maximum convexity of
frontal bone.
4- Parietal eminence: maximum convexity of
parietal bone.
5- Parietal foramina: about 3 cm above the
lambda.
6- Temporal lines.



Anterior aspect of the skull
(face skeleton)
A- The frontal bone:
Forms the forehead and shows the following:
1- Frontal eminences.
2- Superciliary arches: overly the frontal air sinuses.
3-Glabella: median eminence above the nose
continuous laterally as the superciliary arches.
4- Nasion: the center of the fronto-nasal suture.
5- Supraorbital margin: the upper margin of the
orbit.
6- Supraorbital notch : passes the supraorbital
vessels & nerves.

Face skeleton
7- Metopic suture: in the middle of the frontal bone.
Obliterated at the 8
th
year.
B-The nasal bones:
Forms the dorsum of the nose.
C- the maxillary bone:
It consists of a body and four processes:
frontal, zygomatic, alveolar and palatine.
It shows:
1- Anterior nasal aperture and anterior nasal spine.


Face skeleton
2- Subnasal fossa: below the anterior nasal
aperture.
3- Canine eminence: lateral to the subnasal fossa
and medial to the canine fossa. It lies opposite
the canine tooth.
4-Infra-orbital foramen: Transmits infra-orbital
nerve and vessels.
D- Zygomatic bone: forms the prominence of the
cheek and shows:
1- Zygomatico-facial foramen: transmits the
zygomatico-facial nerve and vessels.
The Lateral aspect of the skull
Formed of the following bones:
frontal, parietal, greater wing of the sphenoid and
temporal bones. It shows the following:
1- Pterion: formed by the meeting of 4 bones:
frontal, parietal, squamous temporal and greater
wing of the sphenoid.
2- Asterion: the meeting of parietal, occipital and
mastoid bone
3- Zygomatic arch: attachment of masseter and
temporal fascia.


The Lateral aspect of the skull
4- Glenoid fossa: articulate with head of the
mandible
5- Articular eminence (in front of glenoid
fossa)
6- Temporal fossa: origin of temporalis
muscle.
7- Infratemporal crest: Gives origin to
upper head of lateral ptrygoid muscle.

The Lateral aspect of the skull
8- Origin of lower head of lateral ptrygoid:
lateral surface of the lateral ptrygoid plate.
9- Origin of buccinator muscle: from alveolar
margin of maxilla opposite the molar teeth.
10- Maxillary tuberosity: Gives origin to the
superficial head of medial ptrygoid muscle.

FIRST LECCTURE OF ANATOMY
The Posterior aspect of the skull
Formed by occipital bone and shows:
1- External occipital protuberance:
Gives attachment to ligamentum nuchae and
trapezius muscle.
2-External occipital crest:
Gives attachment to ligamentum nuchae.
3-Superior nuchal line: Gives attachment to
trapezius muscle medially, and
sternomastoid muscle laterally.
4- inferior nuchal line.
The Posterior aspect of the skull
5-Highest nuchal line: epicranial aponeurosis and
occipitalis muscle.
6- Mastoid notch (digastric notch):
Gives attachment to posterior belly of digastric
muscle.
7- Occipital condyle: Related to atlanto-occipital
joint.
8- Posterior condylar canal: Transmit an
emissary vein
9- Foramen magnum: Transmit spinal cord,
meninges, medulla oblongata, spinal arteries,
vertebral arteries, cerebellum and many other
structures

Any Questions?