Head and Neck
The head and neck form the upper part of the body which consists from the cranium, face,
and the neck
The bones of head and neck consist from the bone of skull, hyoid bone and cervical vertebra,
the skull can be divided into cranial and facial.
Bones and they are firmly attached to each other by fibrous joints (sutures) which are not
movable, only the mandible, hyoid bone ossicles and cervical vertebrae are movable. The
fibrous tissue in the sutures line called sutural ligament. The upper part of the cranium called
the vault and the lower part called the base of the skull.
The skull bones make up of external and internal hard compact tables the internal table is
thinner than external, between these tables the spongy cancellous bone called diploe. The
outer compact table covered by periosteum and the inner table covered by endosteum.
The skull consist from 22 bone and with ossicles bones formed 28 bones
The cranium consist of following: Fiontal bone
1





Parietal bone
2
Occipital bone
1
Temporal bone
2
Sphenoid bone
1
Ethmoid bone
1
The facial bones consist of the following
 Maxillae
2
 Mandible
1
 Zygomatic bone
2
 Nasal bone
2
 Lacrimal bone
2
 Vomer
1
 Palatine bones
2
 Inferior conchae
2
The skull has several major functions:First) It forms a cranial vault and base, providing protection and support for the brain.
Second) It form the skeletal framework of the face.
Third) Many special organs and tissues of the region (e.g., the eyes, suspended within a protective
orbit; the organs of hearing and balance; the nasal and oral apertures; and the masticatory
(chewing) structures, including the jaws, tongue, pharynx, and facial muscles) arc anchored in the
bones of the skull.
Fourth) The strength and rigidity of the skull help to protect the complex pattern of arteries
and veins through which the brain receives the continuous blood supply on which it is
particularly dependent.
We recognize a set of landmarks on the surface of the skull :A. The suture lines the most important of the sutures are the coronal suture, the sagittal
suture, and the lambdoidal suture.
B. The fossae. As the anterior cranial fossa, the middle cranial fossa, the posterior cranial
fossa, glenoid fossa, infratemporal fossa.
C. The foramina, mental, superior and inferior orbital foramen, in the cranial cavity like
foramen ovale, spinosum, and most important
foramen is foramen magnum.
D. Canal or duct as carotid canal infraorbital duct, auditory duct, condylar canal
E. The air sinuses, the frontal, ethmoidal, and sphenoidal, and maxillary bone since.
F. Process as coronoid, mastoid, zygomatic process of maxilla and other.
G. Tubercle as pterygoid, pharyngeal.
H. Fissure as superior and inferior orbital, petrotympanic,
tympanomasoid.
I. Condyle as occipital condyle.
J. Line as superior and inferior nuchal line
K. Protuberance as external and internal occipital.
L. Groove as groove for occipital artery.
M. Notch as superior orbital notch.
N. Spine as anterior and posterior nasal spine.
O. Ridge as superior and inferior alveolar ridge.
P. Border as the border of the orbit.
Q. Crest as infratemporal crest.
R. Tuberosity as maxillary tuberosity.
S. Head and neck as in the tempromandibular joint.
The intact skull may be viewed from a number of different views:- the lateral view, the
frontal or anterior view, and the posterior view. In addition, the base of the skull or inferior
view.
Anterior view:
The frontal bone formed the forehead the two halves fail to fuse leaving a midline
metopic suture, and forms the upper margins of the orbits and formed the
supraorbital ridge. The supraorbital notch or foramen can be recognized medially.
There are two zygomatic process of frontal bone and suture laterally, maxillary
process of frontal bone with suture and articulate, with nasal bone medially.
The orbital margins are bounded by the frontal bone superiorly, the zygomatic bone
laterally, the maxilla inferiorly, and the maxillary process of the frontal bone and
the frontal process of maxilla medially.
The two nasal bones formed the bridge of the nose. Their lower Border, with the
maxilla makes the anterior nasal aperture. There are two nasal cavity divided by
nasal septum which form from the perpendicular plate of ethmoidal bone superiorly
and the vomer bone inferiorly. There are two projections at the lateral wall of the
nose called the inferior conchae.
The zygomatic bone forms the prominence of the cheek and the lateral wall and
floor of the orbital cavity. It articulates with the maxilla medially and with the
zygomatic process of temporal bone laterally which form the zygomatic arch. At the
medial wall of the orbit the lacrimal bone medial to frontal process of maxilla.
The two maxilla form the medial part of the floor of the orbital cavity and the lower
part of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity, below the inferior orbital margin the
maxilla is perforated by the inferior orbital foramen. The two bones meet in the
midline at the Intermaxillary suture, and form the lower margin of the nasal
Aperture and there is projection at the midline called anterior nasal spine. The
alveolar process project downward from the body of maxilla and with the process of
other side form the superior alveolar ridge which carries the upper teeth.
The mandible or the lower jaw, consist from the two vertical rami and two
horizontal bodies meet together at symphysis form symphysis menti, the process at
the upper border of the body form inferior alveolar ridge which carries the lower
teeth. The two mental foramen at both side of the body of mandible.
Lateral view:The frontal bone forms the anterior part of the side of the skull and articulates with
the parietal bone at the coronal suture.
The parietal bones form superior part of the side pf the skull and articulate with
each other in the midline at the sagittal suture, and articulate with the occipital bone
behind at the lambdoid suture.
Anteriorly below the frontal bone the nasal bone and maxillary bone posterior to
them the body of zygoma and its processes, the zygomatic arch form from the
temporal process of the zygomatic bone and the zygomatic process of temporal
bone, inferiorly the body and the ramus of the mandible.
The greater wing of sphenoid bone posterior to the zygoma and articulate with the
frontal bone and parietal bone to form the thinnest part of the lateral wall of the
skull called the pterion, clinically it is very important area because of overlies the
anterior division of the middle meningeal vessel. The temporal bone consist from
the squamous, tympanic plate, rnastoid, process, styloid process, and zygomatic
process. There are two lines on the squamous part of temporal bone called superior
and inferior temporal line which begin as a single line from the posterior margin of
the zygomatic process of frontal bone and diverge backward. The temporal fossa
lies below the inferior temporal line. The infratemporal fossa lies below the
infratemporal crest on the greater wing of the sphenoid bone.
There are two plates below the greater wing of sphenoid called lateral and medial
pterygoid process, the pterygomaxillary fissure is vertical fissure between the back
of maxilla and the pterygoid process, it leads medially into the pterygopalatine
fossa.
The external auditory meatus locate anterior to the mastoid process and below the
supramastoid crest.
The occipital bone form the posterior part of the side of skull, there are two lines on
the squamous part of the occipital bone called superior and inferior nuchal line. The
external occipital protuberance slight elevation on the superior nuchal line.
Posterior view:The posterior parts of the two parietal bones articulate with each other at sagittal
suture superiorly, inferiorly the parietal bone articulate with the squamous part of
the occipital bone at the lambdoid suture, on each side articulate with the temporal
bone. In the midline of the occipital bone is a roughened elevation called the
external occipital protuberance, on each side the superior nuchal lines and below it
the inferior nuchal lines extend laterally toward the temporal bone.
The mastoid process and the styloid process of temporal bone at the lateral and
inferior said of posterior view of the skull.
superrior view:Anteriorly; the frontal bone articulates with the two parietal bones at the coronal
suture. Occasionally, the two halves of the frontal bone fail to fuse leaving a
midline metopic suture. Behind, the two parietal bones articulate in the midline at
sagittal suture, and articulate with occipital bone posteriorly at lambdoid suture.
Inferior view:The anterior part of the skull is formed by the hard palate, the palatal processes of
the maxillary bone and the horizontal plates of the palatine bones. In the midline
anteriorly is the incisive foramen and fossa, posteriolaterally are the greater and
lesser palatine foramina and from it anteriorly the greater palatine grove end at the
1st premolar. In the midline posteriorly there is slight projection called posterior
nasal spine.
Above the posterior border of the hard palate are the posterior nasal apertures
separated by posterior margin of the vomer and bounded laterally by the medial
pterygoid plates of the sphenoid bone. The pterygoid hamulus is prolongation from
the inferior end of the medial pterygoid plated of sphenoid bone. Laterally the
lateral pterygoid plates of the sphenoid bone and with the medial pterygoid plates
meet posterior to the tubercle of maxilla. Lateral to the maxilla the body of
zygomatic bone and the zygomatic arch which formed from the temporal process of
zygomatic bone and zygomatic process of temporal bone, lateral to the arch the
temporal fossa is formed, medial to the temporal fossa the infratemporal crest and
fossa.
Posteriolateral to the lateral pterygoid plate the greater wing of sphenoid bone is
pierced by the large foramen ovale and the small foramina spinosum, and posterior
to them the spine of sphenoid bone.
There is a groove between the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and the petrous
part of the temporal bone behind the spine of sphenoid bone, these groove for
cartilaginous part of the auditory tube and can see the external auditory meatus.
The mandibular fossa of the temporal bone and the articular tubercle form the roof
of the tempromandibular joint. The squamotympanic fissure separates the
mandibular fossa from the tympanic plate posteriorly, through the medial end of
which the chorda tympani exist from the tympanic cavity. The styloid process of the
temporal bone projects downward and forward. The opening of the carotid canal
located on the petrous part of the temporal bone, at the medial end of this bone is
irregular and, together with the basilar part of the occipital bone and the greater
wing of the sphenoid, from the foramen lacerum. The foramen laceram is closed by
fibrous tissue and, and only a few small vessels pass through this foramen from the
cavity of the skull to the exterior.
The tympanic plate of the temporal bone is C shaped and forms the bony part of the
external auditory meatus. The lateral surface of the squamous part of the temporal
bone found suprameatal spin, triangle, and spine.
The stylomastoid foramen present between styloid and mastoid process. Medial to
the styloid process, the petrous part of the temporal bone, has a deep notch together
a shallower notch on the occipital bone, form the jugular foramen.
Posterior to the posterior nasal apertures and in front of the foramen magnum are
the sphenoid bone and the basilar part of the occipital condyles articulate with the
1st cervical vertebra (Atlas). Superior to the occipital condyl is the hyoglossal canal
for transmission of the hypoglusal nerve.
Post
erior to the foramen magnum in the midline is the external occipital protuberance,
the superior nuchal lines as a curve laterally on each side.
The main landmarks of the base of the skull are:1. Incisive foramen
2. Greater palatine groove and foramen
3. Lesser palatine foramen
4. Posterior nasal spine
5. Tubercle of maxilla
6. Zygomatic arch
7. Lateral and medial pterygoid plates
8. Pterygoid hamulus
9. Foramen ovale
10. Foramen spinosum
11. Foramen lacerum
12. Carotid canal
13. Styloid process
14. Eternal auditory meatus
15. Mandibular fossa
16. Infratemporal creast
17. Articular tubercle
18. Pharyngeal tubercles
19. Auditory tube
20. Mastoid process
21. Stylomastoid foramen
22. Tympanomastoid fissure
23. Petrotympanic fissure
24. Jugular foramen
25. Hypoglossal canal
26. Occipital condyle
27. Foramen magnum
28. Groove for occipital artery
29. Superior and inferior nuchal line
30. External occipital crest and protuberance
Fig 1:- anterior view of the skull
Fig 2:- lateral view of the skull
Fig 3:- posterior view of the skull
Fig 4:- superior view of the skull
Fig 5:- inferior view of the skull