Topography and morphometry of the subarcuate canal

The current study shows in a close-up view anatomical relationship between the subarcuate canal and the osseous labyrinth. For this purpose we used micro-computed tomography which allowed performing three-dimensional reconstruction of the subarcuate canal and gave adequate data for estimation its diameter across its course. The diameter of the middle part (the most uniform) of the subarcuate canal varied from 0.28 mm to 0.46 mm. Hence, we calculated the centre of mass for each cross-section of the separated subarcuate canal. This procedure helped us to visualise trajectory of the subarcuate canal and its spatial orientation within the petrous bone. From our data we concluded that subarcuate canals revealed not well defined trajectories and their spatial orientation varied across the studied temporal bones

Imaging of the Wormian bones using microcomputed tomography

Wormian bones are irregular ossicles of small size and reveal fractal pattern of their edges. Their anatomy was visualized in volumetric reconstructions obtained from a series of micro-CT scans. In visual evaluation Wormian bones showed typical anatomy for the calvarial bones. They revealed three-layer composition: the outer and the inner table of the compact bone intervening with the table of the spongy bone. Microcomputed tomography captured all details of the interdigitation of the edge being incorporated into the lambdoid suture and interlocked between opposing edges of the occipital and parietal bones. This modality provided accurate images which allowed delineating morphological differences between the compact bone and the diploe, including vascular channels