Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
08:03
Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model
Published on: November 4, 2025
Fluctuating asymmetry and developmental instability in sagittal craniosynostosis
Valerie Burke Deleon1, Joan T Richtsmeier
1John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. vdeleon@jhmi.edu
Summary
Nonsyndromic sagittal craniosynostosis is not linked to widespread developmental instability. However, localized skull asymmetry in affected children may relate to dura mater attachments.
Area of Science:
- Craniofacial Surgery
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
Background:
- Premature fusion of skull sutures, known as craniosynostosis, can impact cranial development.
- Sagittal craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of the sagittal suture, is the most common form.
- Developmental instability, indicated by fluctuating asymmetry, is a potential factor in craniofacial anomalies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between nonsyndromic sagittal craniosynostosis and developmental instability.
- To analyze fluctuating asymmetry in skull shape in children with sagittal craniosynostosis compared to controls.
Main Methods:
- Cranial shape analysis using landmark data from 3D CT reconstructions.
- Application of Euclidean distance matrix analysis (EDMA) to quantify fluctuating asymmetry.
- Comparison of asymmetry levels between 22 children with sagittal craniosynostosis and 22 controls.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant overall increase in fluctuating asymmetry was observed in the craniosynostosis group.
- Localized increases in fluctuating asymmetry were found at the pterion and anterior clinoid processes.
- A significant correlation in fluctuating asymmetry values was noted between the craniosynostosis and control groups.
Conclusions:
- System-wide developmental instability is unlikely to be the primary cause of nonsyndromic sagittal craniosynostosis.
- Localized asymmetry at the anterior clinoid processes may be associated with dural attachments.
- Further research is needed to explore the specific mechanisms underlying localized cranial asymmetry.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Sutures of the Skull
The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:29Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The superior view of the cranium shows the frontal and paired parietal bones.
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The lateral view of the cranium is dominated by temporal, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
01:16Eccentric Axial Loading in a Plane of Symmetry
Eccentric axial loading occurs when an axial load is applied away from the centroidal axis of a structural member. This scenario is common in engineering, where structural elements may not be directly aligned due to various design or functional requirements.
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...