This leads to an unusually shaped skull and can sometimes affect facial features. Some infants are born with a condition called craniosynostosis, which involves the premature closing of skull sutures. However, more severe fractures may require surgery. In many cases, skull fractures aren’t as painful as they sound, and they often heal on their own without surgery. A diastatic fracture occurs along one of the sutures of your skull, making it wider than usual. This is a serious condition requiring immediate treatment.

This type involves a break in one of the bones near the base of your skull, such as the sphenoid bone. A linear fracture in a cranial bone means there’s a break in the bone, but the bone itself hasn’t moved. This refers to a fracture that makes part of your skull appear sunken. There are several types of skull fracture that can affect cranial bones, such as: FractureĪ fracture refers to any type of break in a bone. Several injuries and health conditions can impact your cranial bones, including fractures and congenital conditions. The sutures don’t fuse until adulthood, which allows your brain to continue growing during childhood and adolescence. They’re irregularly shaped, allowing them to tightly join all the uniquely shaped cranial bones. Your cranial bones are held together by unique joints called sutures, which are made of thick connective tissue. This is an irregular bone located in front of the sphenoid bone. It spans the width of your skull and forms a large part of the base of your skull. This is an irregular bone that sits below the frontal bone. It has an opening that allows your spinal cord to connect to your brain.

This is a flat bone located in the very back of your skull. This is a pair of irregular bones located under each of the parietal bones. This a pair of flat bones located on either side of your head, behind the frontal bone. It also forms the upper portion of your eye sockets.

This is the flat bone that makes up your forehead. There are eight cranial bones, each with a unique shape:

Flat bone function