INTRODUCTION TO HEAD

AND NECK STRUCTURES

BY
PROF. T.O. KUSEMIJU
DEPT OF ANATOMY, C.M.U.L.
IDIARABA
BONES OF FACE AND CRANIUM
• SKULL
– Rigid bony box
– Protects brain
and special
sense organs
– Includes bones
of the cranium
and the face
 General review of the skull

• Cranium- made of several bones united at

joints called sutures.

• Mandible- bone forming the lower jaw.

• SKULL = Cranium + Mandible.

The Skull consists of two main parts:

1. The Cranial cavity with the Vault and base.

2. Skeleton of the face.

The cranium has 8 bones united together

The face has 14 bones in its skeleton.
 CRANIAL BONES
(Cranium = Bone Case)
• FRONTAL-Forms the forehead and roofs of
orbit
• PARIETAL-Two form the sides and roof of
cranial cavity
• TEMPORAL- Two form the inferior lateral
aspects of cranium; has mastoid process
posterior to external auditory canal
• OCCIPITAL- Forms the posterior part and
most of base
• SPHENOID - forms part of the lateral part
 When viewed from the side, note:
Frontal,parietal,occipital,ethmoid,
lacrymal,nasal and
zygomatic,maxilla, mandible and
greater wing of sphenoid,
squamous and mastoid parts of
temporal bone and zygomatic arch
 SUTURES
SUTURES- Meshed immovable joints where
the adjacent cranial bones unite
*CORONAL- Crowns the head from ear to
ear at the junction of frontal and parietal
bones
*SAGITAL- Separates lengthwise between
the parietal bones
*LAMBDOID- Separates parietal bones
crosswise from the occipital bone
 FONTANELS
(fontenelle= little fountain)
• At birth, membrane-covered soft spots
between cranial bones
• These soft spots will eventually ossify-
replaced by bone
• Allow for growth of the brain during the first
year
• Posterior or occipital will ossify by 2 months
• Anterior or frontal will ossify by 18-24 months
 FONTANELS CONT’D
• Sphenoidal – one on each side. b/t the
parietal, greater wing of sphenoid and
squamous temporal bones
( closes I -2 months after birth)
• Mastoid - one on each side b/t parietal,
temporal and occipital bones.
( closes 1 – 2 months after birth)
 INFANT HEAD FINDINGS
• MOLDING- Bones overlap due to passing
through the birth canal
• CEPHALHEMATOMA- collection of blood
under the scalp due to trauma
• DEPRESSED FONTANELS- Due to
dehydration
• BULGING FONTANELS- May indicate
increase in intracranial pressure
 Features on the lateral aspect
• Temporal fossa – b/t zygomatic arch and
temporal bones
• Pterion – an H shaped zone where the all the
bones meet
• Zygomatic arch – formed by the processes of
temporal and zygomatic bones
• Infratemporal fossa – irregular space b/t the
zygomatic arch and the maxilla
• Pterygopalatine fossa – a small pyramidal space
below the orbital apex
 Floor of Cranial Cavity

Divided into three depression: cranial fossae

Anterior cranial fossa.

Middle cranial fossa.

Posterior cranial fossa.

 Anterior Cranial fossa
Formed mainly by the frontal bone with
additions by- ethmoid
- body of sphenoid
- lesser wing of sphenoid
Posterior margin of the floor of anterior
cranial fossa is sharp and formed medially
by the lesser wing of sphenoid and
laterally by the frontal bone.
 Middle Cranial Fossa
Floor is narrow in the median part
anteroposteriorly and broad laterally.
The median part is formed by the
body of sphenoid and the lateral part
by the greater wing of the sphenoid,
squamous temporal bone and the
anterior surface of the petrous part of
the temporal bone.
 Posterior Cranial Fossa

Floor is formed mainly by the occipital

bone.
The foramen magnum is located at
the deepest part of the fossa.The
anterolateral part of the floor is
formed by the posterior surface of the
petrous temporal bone.
 Other features present
• Anterior - Cribiform plate, foramen caecum,
crista galli, frontal lobes, nasal slit
• Middle – Sulcus chiasma, optic chiasma,
sella turcica, hypophyseal fossa, tuberculum
sallae, foramen rotundum,foramen ovale,
foramen spinosum and lacerum.
• Posterior – foramen magnum, jugular
foramen, acoustic meatus, hypoglossal and
condyloid canals, mastoid foramen and
sigmoid sulcus.
 FACIAL BONES
• 14 Facial Bones articulate at sutures except for the
mandible
– NASAL-forms part of bridge of nose
– PAIRED MAXILLAE- Unite to form upper jaw
bone
– ZYGOMATIC- Commonly called cheekbones
– MANDIBLE- Lower jawbone; largest, strongest
facial bone; only skull bone that moves
– LACRIMAL- Smallest bones in face; lateral to
nasal bones
When viewed from the front,Note:
a) The mandible
b) The two maxillae
c) Forehead- formed by the frontal bone
d) Zygomatic bone forming the prominence of the
cheek.
e) Three openings: a median nasal aperture and the
left and right orbits.
f) In the dept of the nasal aperture, note the ethmoid,
inferior nasal concha and the vomer.
g) Walls of the orbit formed by frontal, zygomatic,
ethmoid,maxilla, lacrimal and sphenoid bones.
h) Nasal bones.
 Other named features
• About 3cm above the orbit is the frontal
eminence.
• Just above the medial part of the orbit is
the superciliary arch.
• The arches of the two sides meet in the
midline at the GLABELLA.
• The frontonasal and internasal sutures
meet at the NASION.
 THE MANDIBLE
• Has 1 body and 2 rami.
• External features include – mental foramen ,
protuberance, oblique line, groove for facial
artery
• Internal features – mental spine, mylohyoid
line, alveolar border, submandibular and
sublingual fossae
• Rami consist of condyloid and coronoid
processes, mandibular foramen, lingular and
mylohyoid groove.
 FACIAL MUSCLES
• Facial expressions are formed by the
facial muscles
• Mediated by cranial nerve VII, the facial
nerve
• Facial muscle is symmetrical bilaterally,
except for an occasional quirk or wry
expression
Figure 13-2 pg 273
 Abnormal Facial Features
• TICS- Abnormal facial movements
• Exophthalmos- bulging eyeballs
• Acromegaly- Gradual enlargement of the
bones of the face and jaws
 BONES OF THE NECK
• Hyoid bone – lies at the level of C3
• Thyroid cartilage – C4
• Cricoid cartilage – C6
• Trachea rings – C7 to T3
• 7 cervical vertebrae
• A pair of clavicle
 Bones of the neck
•Location of Thyroid Gland

Figure 13-5 p. 274.

 Neck
• CRICOID- Above the thyroid isthmus within
about 1cm is the cricoid cartilage or upper
tracheal ring
• THYROID CARTILAGE- Above the cricoid
with a small palpable notch in its upper edge-
the Adam’s Apple-forms anterior wall of larynx
• HYOID- Highest is the hyoid bone, palpated
at the level of the floor of the mouth
 MUSCLES OF THE NECK
•Muscles of the Neck

Figure 13-4. p 274.

 NECK MUSCLES
• STERNOMASTOID- Arises from the sternum
and the medial part of the clavicle and extends
diagonally across the neck to the mastoid
process behind the ear; Accomplishes head
rotation and flexion
• TRAPEZIUS- Two muscles that form a trapezoid
shape on the upper back arising from the
occipital bone and extends fanning out to the
clavicle and scapula; moves the shoulders and
extends and turns the head
 LANDMARKS
• Vertebra Prominens-C7 vertebra; has a
long spinous process that can be felt when
the neck is flexed
• Temporal Artery-Pulsation is palpable
anterior to ear