Skull Anatomy

What is the skull?

Your skull is the part of your skeleton that holds and protects your brain. It also holds or supports several of your main sensory organs, like your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and more. The skull’s medical name is the cranium.

When you’re born, your skull is mostly formed but not quite complete. Some parts of it, called fontanelles, are softer and more flexible. You can see an example of this in the soft spot at the top of an infant’s head. The fontanelles allow your brain and skull to grow and develop.

There are also places where the left and right sides of a bone (like the parietal bone) or multiple bones join. Those are called sutures. These can change throughout your lifetime, even well into adulthood. Some sutures fuse solid while you’re an infant. Others may not fuse until your 60s.

What does the skull do?

Your skull has two main jobs:

• Protection. The bony structure of your skull protects your brain and critical sensory organs like your eyes and ears.
• Structure. Your skull is what gives your face and head their shape. It has many attachment points for muscles to anchor to. It’s one of the most important things that determines what your face looks like.

What are the parts of the skull?

Your skull sits at the top of your spinal column, inside your neck. While it might seem like your skull is just one structure, there are two distinct parts of it. They are the:

• Cranial vault (neurocranium or calvarium). This surrounds and protects your brain.
• Facial skeleton (viscerocranium). This supports and holds the various parts of your face.

Cranial vault anatomy

This part of your skull consists mainly of the calvarium. That includes the:

• Frontal bone. This is a single, seamless bone. It gives your forehead its structure.
• Sphenoid bone. This is a single bone below and in front of your brain, but behind the bones making up your face. It also forms part of the lower rear of your eye sockets.
• Ethmoid bone. This is a single bone that fills in a heart-shaped, hollow space in the sphenoid bone at the lower front of your brain.
• Temporal bones. There are two of these bones, one on each side. Each has a small opening where your ear canal passes through the skull.
• Parietal bones. These are a pair of bones that join together at a seam called the sagittal suture. They form the upper middle and upper back of your skull.
• Occipital bone. This is a single seamless bone at the lower back of your skull.

Facial skeletal anatomy

The facial skeleton is at the front of your skull. It’s a group of bones that support and give your face its structure. The bones of this part of your skull are:

• Nasal bones. These form the bridge of your nose. They overlap slightly with the maxilla and the forward part of the ethmoid bone.
• Vomer. This bone is like the floor of the nasal cavity space right behind your nose.
• Lacrimal bones. These form the central-lower inside portion of your eye socket.
• Palatine bones. These are a small section of the bottom of your eye socket’s interior.
• Zygomatic bones. These form the outer lower edge of your eye socket.
• Maxilla. This single bone forms the central part of your cheekbones on both sides. It also is what makes up the central-lower-forward part of your eye socket. It also makes up your upper jaw. It overlaps slightly with the forward part of the ethmoid bone.
• Mandible. This single bone makes up your lower jaw. It’s the only bone of your skull that moves.

What are the common conditions and disorders that affect the skull?

Your skull is prone to a wide range of conditions, and many of them are congenital. That means you have the condition when you’re born. Examples of congenital skull conditions include:

• Anencephaly
• Apert syndrome
• Carpenter syndrome
• Cleidocranial dysplasia
• Craniosynostosis
• Crouzon syndrome
• Encephalocele
• Goldenhar syndrome
• Hemifacial microsmia
• Microcephaly
• Micrognathia
• Pfeiffer syndrome
• Prognathism
• Scaphocephaly

There are also several conditions and injuries that you can develop at any time in life that affect your skull. Examples include:

• Temporomandibular joint disorders
• Jaw cysts and tumors, some of which can be jaw cancer
• Dental trauma, including a dislocated jaw or broken jaw
• Skull fractures and/or related concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)

Common signs or symptoms of skull conditions

The common signs and symptoms of skull conditions vary widely. Congenital skull conditions usually cause differences in skull appearance and/or development. That can cause distinctive facial or head appearances.

Non-congenital skull conditions can cause the following:

• Head pain, especially headaches
• Jaw popping or jaw pain
• Brain symptoms, like confusion or coma
• Bruising, often with specific patterns like raccoon eyes (a key sign of a skull fracture)

Common tests to check the skull

Diagnostic imaging tests are the main way to diagnose skull conditions. These include:

• X-rays, including dental x-rays
• CT scans
• MRI

Providers who suspect congenital conditions that affect your skull often recommend genetic testing. It can detect specific genetic variations that could help providers find the right diagnosis.

Other tests are possible, depending on your symptoms, health history and other factors. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you what tests they recommend and why.

What are some common treatments for skull conditions?

The treatments for skull conditions depend on which condition you have. Your health, personal history and circumstances can also be factors. Ask your healthcare provider about the treatment options for your specific case.

What can I do to take care of my skull?

The best way to take care of your skull is to protect it from injury. That includes:

• Wearing seat belts in moving vehicles. They’re the best way to prevent head injuries from vehicle crashes.
• Wearing helmets and other safety gear. These are absolutely vital during activities like cycling or rollerblading. They’re also essential in certain job fields.
• Getting regular dental care. Seeing a dentist regularly can help catch teeth or jaw conditions before they become more serious (since your teeth connect directly to your skull).
• Don’t ignore chronic symptoms. If you have symptoms that affect the skin of your head or your eyes, nose, mouth or ears, don’t ignore them if they persist. Certain chronic symptoms can indicate an underlying issue that can spread to your skull and your brain.