Accessory spine of the foramen ovale

The objective of this study was to provide a morphometrical analysis of the accessory spine which exists within the lumen of the foramen ovale, and to find out if that structure could mechanically irritate the mandibular nerve. A bifid spine was perceived in the macerated skull of an adult individual. It was located in the anterior part of the left foramen ovale. The overall length of the spine was measured as 1.8 mm. The spine has the homogenous structure, and show high level of mineralization. We conclude that the accessory spine did not compress the mandibular nerve, and the foramen ovale provided enough space for the nerve passage. Probably, these structures remained in anatomical accordance without causing any neurological symptoms

A note on the morphology of the metopic suture in the human skull

The metopic suture of 24 adult skulls investigated showed recognisably varied morphological patterns. The metopic suture resembled wavy lines and was sometimes highly convoluted, especially in the superior part of the frontal bone. The mean suture length was computed as 123.1 mm (SD = 5.307) and the mean fractal dimension was 1.17 (SD = 0.076). Visual inspection of the morphological character of the metopic sutures revealed complex variation in their course between the nasion and the bregma. Comparison of the fractal dimensions indicated a two-fold increase in complexity between the anterior half of the suture terminating in the nasion (FD = 1.10) and the second half of the suture beginning in the bregma (FD = 1.21). The Mann-Whitney test confirmed the statistical significance of the differences in the fractal dimensions calculated. The variety and complexity of the interdigitations in the anterior and posterior part of the suture point to possible alterations to local strains, which occur during the growth of the braincase