Bones and

Articulations
of the Skull
Xu Jin

Department of Anatomy
Chongqing Medical University
 Overview
Functions
protecting and supporting the organs of
brain and other sense organs ；
dealing with sight, hearing, balance and
upper parts of digestive system &
respiratory system.

 we will spend 1 week, two times to

finish this content
 we don’t study the separated bones
respectively. We will study the skull as a
whole
 Formation
Bones: 23 in number
Articulations: synarthrosis / diarthrosis

Cranial bones (8 bones)

Unpaired bones (on the middle line)

Frontal bone the cap of the skull

Ethmoid bone
Occipital bone
Sphenoid bone
Articulations
Paried bones ( on the symmetrical position)
Parietal bone Sutures
Temporal bone
Synchondrosis
synosteosis
Facial bones (15 bones)
Unpaired bones:
Mandible
Vomer
Hyoid

Paired bones
Nasal bone
Lacrimal bone Orbits Articutlations
Inferior nasal chocha Bony nasal cavity
Zygomatic bone Temperomandibular
Bony oral cavity
Palatine bone Joint
Maxilla
The cap of the skull
????
 The internal aspect of the base of skull

Ant.cranial
fossa

Mid.cranial
fossa

Post.cranial fossa
The external aspect of the base of
skull
The anterior aspect of the skull
Orbit
Bony nasal cavity
 The lateral aspect of the skull

??
Paranasal sinuses
Temperomandibular Joint
Summary
The transmition of the structures through the cranial foramina
cribriform foramina olfactory filaments ( I N)
optic canal optic n. (II N) / ophthalmic arter

superior orbital fissure oculomotor n. (III N.) / trochlear n. (IV N) /

ophthalmic V.
foramen rotundum V2 (maxillary n. )

foramen ovale V3 (mandibular n.)

foramen spinosum middle meningeal vessles

internal acoustic meatus facial n. (VII. N) / vestibulocochlear n. (VIII N)

jugular foramen glossopharyngeal n. (IX N) / vagus n. (X N) /
accessory n. (XI N.)

hypoglossal canal hypoglossal n. (XII N. )

 The location of the opennings of paranasal sinuses
Name of paranasal sinus location
Sphenoidal sinus Sphenoethoidal recess

Ethmoidal sinus Superior meatus

Posterior portion
Middle portion Middle meatus
Anterior portion Middle meatus
Frontal sinus Middle meatus

Maxillary sinus Middle meatus

 Fontanelles anterior fontanelles: closed
after birth for 18 months
posterior fontanelles: closed
after birth for 6 months

sutures: closed after

birth for 3 months