ArticlesAnatomyHead and neckSkullSutures of the skull

ArticlesAnatomyHead and neckSkullSutures of the skull

Sutures of the skull

Author: Alexandra Sieroslawska, MD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: October 30, 2023
Reading time: 5 minutes

The sutures of the skull, also referred to as the cranial sutures, are fibrous joints that connect the bones of the skull. They appear as intricate thin lines that mark the adherence between the bones and the growth and closure of the cranial fontanelles.

The dense fibrous tissue that connects the sutures is made mostly out of collagen. These joints are fixed, immovable, and they have no cavity. They are also referred to as the synarthroses. In fetal skull, the sutures are wide and allow slight movement during birth, but later in life they become rigid and fixed.

This article will explain the anatomy, structure and function of the sutures of the skull.

**Key facts**
Anterior aspect of skull	Frontonasal suture - between the frontal bone and nasal bones Frontozygomatic suture - between the frontal bone and zygomatic bone Zygomaticomaxillary suture - between zygoma and the maxilla Intermaxillary suture - between two maxilla Metopic suture - found in children; on the midline of the frontal bone
Posterior aspect of skull	Sagittal suture - between two parietal bones Lambdoid suture - between the parietal bone/temporal bone and occipital bone Lambda - convergence of the sagital and lambdoid suture (resembles to a greek letter 'lambda')
Superior aspect of skull	Coronal suture - between the frontal bone and the parietal bone Bregma - convergence of the saggital and coronal sutures
Lateral aspect of skull	Squamous suture - between the parietal bone and temporal bone Sphenofrontal suture - between the frontal bone and sphenoid bone Sphenoparietal suture - between the sphenoid bone and parietal bone Occipitomastoid suture - between the occipital bone and mastoid process of the temporal bone Temporozygomatic suture - between the temporal bone and zygomatic bone
Inferior aspect of skull	Median palatine suture - between the hotizontal plates of the palatines Transverse palatine suture - between the palatine process of the maxillary bone and the palatine bone Petro-occipital suture - between the occipital bone and petrous part of the temporal bone Spheno-occipital suture - between the sphenoid bone and occipital bone Petrosquamous suture - between the petrous and squamous parts of the temporal bone Petrotympanic suture - between the temporomandibular joint and the tympanic cavity

Contents

Anterior view
Posterior view
Superior view
Lateral view
Inferior view
Sources

+ Show all

Anterior view

The frontonasalsuture joins the frontal bone and nasal bones.
The frontozygomatic suture articulates the frontal and zygomatic bones.
The zygomaticomaxillary suture links the zygomatic bone and the maxilla.
The two maxillary bones are anteriorly connected by the intermaxillary joint. The width of this joint is significantly increased during a maxillary expansion treatment.
The metopic suture is a persistent childhood suture that runs down the midline of the frontal bone.

Want a speedy way to learn skull anatomy? Check out our skull bones quizzes and diagrams.

Posterior view

The sagittal suture joins the two parietals.
The lambdoid suture separates the parietal and temporal bones of the skull from the occipital bone.
The sagittal and lambdoid sutures converge into a lambda.

Superior view

The coronal suture separates the frontal bone and the parietal bone.
The coronal and the sagittal sutures converge into the bregma.
The sagittal and lambdoid sutures are also visible from this angle.

Review the bones of the skull with this quick, integrated quiz.

Lateral view

The squamous suture joins the parietal bone and the temporal bone.
The sphenofrontal suture links the frontal bone and the sphenoid bone.
The sphenoparietal suture articulates the sphenoid bone and the parietal bone.
The occipitomastoid suture is the groove between the occipital bone and the mastoid process of the temporal bone.
The temporozygomatic suture is the adherence of the temporal bone and the zygomatic bone.
The coronal, lambdoid and frontozygomatic sutures are also visible from this angle.

Learn more about the cranial sutures here:

Inferior view

The median palatine suture connects the horizontal plates of the palatines. It is the posterior continuation of the intermaxillary suture.
The transverse palatine suture adheres the palatine process of the maxillary bone to the palatine bone.
The petro-occipital suture is the junction between the occipital bone and the petrous part of the temporal bone.
The spheno-occipital suture articulates the sphenoid bone and the occipital bone.
The petrosquamous suture is the interosseous border the petrous part and the squamous part of the temporal bone.
The petrotympanic suture (also known as the squamotympanic suture) is a temporal fissure that runs between the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the tympanic cavity.

Don't forget to quiz yourself on the cranial sutures to consolidate your knowledge!

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.

Reference:

Neil S. Norton, Ph.D. and Frank H. Netter, MD: Netter’s Head and Neck Anatomy for Dentistry, 2nd Edition, Elsevier Saunders, Chapter 2 Osteology, p.47-50.

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