Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

State of the Art Cranial Ultrasound Imaging in Neonates
Published on: February 2, 2015
[Applied anatomy of the fontanelles]
J L Bustamante1, L A Miquelini, M D'Agustini
1Cátedra de Anatomía C, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. jorgeluisbustamante@hotmail.com
Objective:
To make a description of the anatomy of fontanelles and to update what is currently known about their applications.
Method:
7 cadaveric heads, 2 dry skulls and 2 frontal bones of foetus were used, and 48 anterior fontanelles from paediatric patients with or without associated pathology were examined. Surgical cases and neurosonography were also used. All the structures were measured and subsequently analysed.
Results:
The size, structure and limits of the fontanelles were evidenced in the cadaveric head and skulls, as well as the evaluation of paediatric patients and the size of their fontanelles in different pathologies.
Conclusion:
Owing to their anatomical characteristics, fontanelles are a true window to the inside of the skull, which determines their multiple clinical and surgical applications.
Related Concept Videos
Anatomy of the Brain: Ventricles
Sutures of the Skull
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...
Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
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,...
Overview of the Skull
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
Cranial Bones: Lateral View
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...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.

