Morphological variability of pterion in the human skull

Area of Science:

• Craniofacial osteology and surgical anatomy.

Background:

• The pterion is a critical junction in the skull, connecting facial bones, skull base, and calvarium.
• Understanding pterion morphology is essential for safe and effective pterional surgical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a detailed morphological analysis of the pterion in adult human skulls.
• To classify pterion forms and investigate the influence of sutural bones on its variability.

Main Methods:

• Morphological analysis of the pterion in 506 adult human skulls.
• Reconstruction of pterion morphology on polyethylene sheets.
• Evaluation of sphenoparietal suture length and cranial indexes.

Main Results:

• Detailed classification of pterion morphological variations.
• Analysis of wormian bones at the sphenoparietal suture and their impact.
• Correlation between pterion measurements, cranial indexes, and pteric bone presence.

Conclusions:

• Peculiar pterion morphology and its variations are significant for surgical planning.
• Wormian bones and cranial indexes influence pterion variability.