JAOA • Vol 105 • No 1 • January 2005 • 25-
Patency and Obliteration of the Cranial Sutures: Is There a Clinical Significance?
Rosanna C. Sabini, BA;
David E. Elkowitz, DO
Previous research on cranial sutures has placed great emphasis on
correlating age with timing of sutural fusion and little dedication to
evaluating the relation of sutural patency with clinical relevance. The
external morphology of the coronal, sagittal and occipital sutures was
evaluated in thirty-six human cadaver skulls. Each suture was described using
a modified grading scale to quantify the extent of sutural patency and
obliteration. Two significant findings were observed: (1) the lambdoid suture
was overall most likely to be patent and least likely to be obliterated, and
(2) the sagittal suture was most likely to be obliterated and least likely to
be patent when compared to the other sutures. These findings provide an
insight into understanding what external forces cause cranial sutures to be
more patent than others. In turn, it can help determine if they have a
clinical significance beyond the estimation of age.
Anatomy and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Department, New York
College of Osteopathic Medicine of New York Institute of Technology, Old
Westbury, NY
