Lisa Burson
Analysis of the Fusion of the Sagittal and Coronal Sutures in Humans and Apes using Computerized Tomography
Cranial anatomy has typically been characterized by visual observations. However, through the use of medical technology - specifically computerized tomography - the crania can be more thoroughly viewed. This study follows two lines of inquiry using CT technology. The first line of inquiry is the comparison of the density of the inner and outer cortical layers of the parietal bone. The second line of inquiry is an examination of the pattern of suture closure of the sagittal and coronal sutures, which is usually closes endocranially to ectocranially. A sample of 49 CT scans of crania of known age, sex, and ancestry from the Raymond A. Dart Collection from the University of Witswatersrand School of Anatomical Sciences were analyzed using the computer program Slicer v3.5, which clearly shows the densities of the bone table and the sutures. The sagittal and coronal sutures were divided into segments for analysis - the sagittal into S1, S2, S3, and S4 and the coronal into left and right C1, C2, and C3, as described by Acsadi and Nemeskeri (1970) and Perizonius (1984). Using these segments, the order of the suture closure and the difference in cortical bone densities were compared. The results show that the pattern of endocranial to ectocranial suture closure may vary more than previously thought. It was also found that in a significant number of cases, the outer bone table is denser than the inner bone table.
Faculty Mentor: James Reed, Biomedical Sciences
Analysis of the Fusion of the Sagittal and Coronal Sutures in Humans and Apes using Computerized Tomography
Cranial anatomy has typically been characterized by visual observations. However, through the use of medical technology - specifically computerized tomography - the crania can be more thoroughly viewed. This study follows two lines of inquiry using CT technology. The first line of inquiry is the comparison of the density of the inner and outer cortical layers of the parietal bone. The second line of inquiry is an examination of the pattern of suture closure of the sagittal and coronal sutures, which is usually closes endocranially to ectocranially. A sample of 49 CT scans of crania of known age, sex, and ancestry from the Raymond A. Dart Collection from the University of Witswatersrand School of Anatomical Sciences were analyzed using the computer program Slicer v3.5, which clearly shows the densities of the bone table and the sutures. The sagittal and coronal sutures were divided into segments for analysis - the sagittal into S1, S2, S3, and S4 and the coronal into left and right C1, C2, and C3, as described by Acsadi and Nemeskeri (1970) and Perizonius (1984). Using these segments, the order of the suture closure and the difference in cortical bone densities were compared. The results show that the pattern of endocranial to ectocranial suture closure may vary more than previously thought. It was also found that in a significant number of cases, the outer bone table is denser than the inner bone table.
Faculty Mentor: James Reed, Biomedical Sciences
Page last modified July 30, 2009
