Gross growth and regrowth of sutures: reflections on some personal research

A series of experiments was performed on young monkeys, rabbits, and turtles to study gross sutural growth of bones. Radiopaque implants in conjunction with serial, direct gross, and indirect radiographic measurements were employed. Differences in growth were observed in the monkey among five facial sutures and also the same suture at different times. Growth was greatest at the zygomaticotemporal suture and least at the premaxillomaxillary suture. In the rabbit, the nasal bone side of the frontonasal suture grew about twice as fast as the frontal bone side. In the turtle shell, the midsagittal suture grew faster than the transverse suture. In all of the animals, the rate of sutural growth decreased with an increase in age. No gross regional growth disturbance was noted after resection of the frontonasal, midpalatine, or transpalatine sutures. The frontonasal suture reformed presumably because of the underlying nasomucoperiosteum, as in a cranial suture, presumably because of the underlying dura. After extirpation of the midpalatine suture with the formation of a complete cleft and despite no underlying membrane, a new suture reformed in an eccentric position in a number of instances. Bone growth at sutures is secondary or compensatory to some other factors.