International Journal of Current Medical And Applied Sciences, 2016, February,9(3),126-128. ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE Study on the Occurrence of Wormian Bones in Human Adult Dry Skulls. G. A. Jos Hemalatha 1 & K. Arumugam 1 1Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Tirunelveli Medical College, Tirunelveli. Tamil Nadu, India. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract: Introduction: Mostly the wormian bones are found over the lambdoid sutures. They are due to accessory ossification centres in or near the sutures. These are called as Wormian bones because they were first discovered by Ole Worm Professor of Anatomy, Copenhagen, Denmark. Sometimes these sutural bones in the region of lambdoid in between the two parietal bones called as interpariteal or INCA or Goethe’s ossicle. Objectives: To determine the incidence and type of sutural bones in human adult dry skull. Materials and Methods: In this study, 100 human dried skulls were analyzed. All the skulls were taken from the Institute of Anatomy, Madras Medical College, Chennai. Results: Out of 100 human adult dry skulls, 23 skulls showed sutural bones (23%). Of these 2% sutural bones present in lambdoid suture. 2% of sutural bones present in lambdoid region. Conclusion: The study of wormian bone in the adult human dry skulls is useful for clinicians and radiologists to avoid misinterpret it as a fracture. Key words: INCA, Wormian bone, Pterion, Lambdoid, Sagittal suture. Introduction: Some additional ossicles known as wormian bones are 2) Adaptation to cranial engagement – Number of present in various sutures of human adult skulls. wormian bones increases with the capacity of the skull Mostly the wormian bones are found over the lambdoid regardless of the cause of enlargement. sutures. They are due to accessory ossification centres 3) Genetic factor – Under the control of various in or near the sutures. These are called as Wormian numbers of genes. bones because they were first discovered by Ole Worm Generally wormian bones in humand adult dry skulls Professor of Anatomy, Copenhagen, Denmark. varies from 8% to 15%. Sometimes these sutural bones in the region of lambdoid in between the two parietal bones called as Materials & Methods: interpariteal or INCA or Goethe’s ossicle. The mumber The present study was conducted in the Institute of of sutural bones varies considerably because different Anatomy, Madras Medical College, Chennai [TN], India. individuals and different population have different Hundred human adult dry skulls of unknown sex number of sutural bones. The following factors are without any gross pathology or abnormality were used responsible for the wormian bones. for the study. All the skulls included in the study were 1) Cranial deformity – The frequency are more among adults as evidenced by the eruption of third molar the artificially deformed skulls. teeth. Address for correspondence: Dr. G. A. Jos Hemalatha Access this Article Online Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Website: Tirunelveli Medical College, Tirunelveli [TN], India. www.ijcmaas.com Email: [email protected] How to cite this article: Subject: [email protected]. A. Jos Hemalatha & K. Arumugam : Study on the Occurrence of Medical Sciences Wormian Bones in Human Adult Dry Skulls. International Journal of current Medical and Applied sciences; 2016, 9(3), 126-128. Quick Response Code IJCMAAS,E-ISSN:2321-9335,P-ISSN:2321-9327. Page | 126 G. A. Jos Hemalatha & K. Arumugam Inclusion criteria : Exclusion criteria: • Adult human dry skull irrespective of sex. • Damaged skulls. • Calvarias intact. • Newborn, infants and children skulls. • Third molar tooth erupted. • Very old skulls with obliterated suture • Sutures well defined. The skulls were observed with naked eye and took photographs for further analysis. Results: Out of total 100 skulls, it was noted that only 23 (23%) skulls had wormian bones. So the gross incidence reported as 23% in this study. Table 1: Wormian bones : Wormian bones Number of skulls Percentage Present 23 23% Absent 77 77% Figure 1 & 2 : Wormian bones in the lambdoid suture Figure 3 : Wormian bones in sagittal suture Figure 4: Wormian bones in the asterion Figure : 5 & 6 Wormian bones in the coronal suture Figure : 7 & 8 Wormian bones in the lambdoid region ( INCA ) Figure 9 : Wormian bones in the pterion . Logic Publications @ 2016, IJCMAAS, E-ISSN: 2321-9335,P-ISSN:2321-9327. Logic Publications @ 2016, IJCMAAS, E-ISSN: 2321-9335,P-ISSN:2321-9327. Table 2: Site of Wormian bone Total number of Site of Wormian bone skulls Percentage (N = 100) Lambdoid suture 2 2% Asterion 1 1% Coronal suture 2 2% Sagittal 1 1% Lambda region (INCA) 2 2% Epiteric 15 15% Out of 100 human adults dry skulls, wormian bones present in pterion region between the greater wing of sphenoid and parietal bones was 15.Lambdoid suture, Coronal suture and Lambda region have 2 wormian bones each. Asterion and sagittal suture have one sutural bone in each. Discussion: References: In the present study wormian bones were reported as 1. Mary Antony Praba A et al ; Study on the occurrancr 23%.Most commonest site of sutural bone is in our of wormian bones among the male and female skulls study is Pterion region which was reported as 15%. of Tamilnadu, India, International Journal of A. Mary Antony Praba et al (2015) [1] study showed Anatomy & Research: 2015, 3(4) 2. Mary Antony Praba .A & C.Venkatramaniah. that sutural bones present in 83 out of 100 skulls. Morphometric study of different types of pterion Among these asterion region is the commonest site of and its relation with middle meningeal artery in dry wormian bones. A. Mary et al (2012) [2] found that skulls of Tamilnadu. Journal of Pharmaceuticals and wormian bone in the pterion region was reported as Biomedical Science: 2012, 21(04); 1-4. 4%. Khan A A et al (2011) [3] study showed sutural 3. Khas AA et al Unusual presence of wormian bones in bones seen in 6 out of 25 adult dry skulls. Mwachaka human skulls, Pubmed index for medline, 2011 nov 7 et al (2000) [4] reported 4% of eipteric type of sutural (4), 291-294 bones. R R Maratha et al (2010) [5] study found that 4. Mwachaka P.M, Hassanali J & Odula P : Anatomic sutural bones present in 1.315% of human adult dry position of lateral skull approach. International Journal of Morphol: 2008, 26 (4), 931-933. skulls. Oguz et al (2004) [6] found that epiteric 5. Marath R R et al INCA- Interpariteal bone in wormian bone in 2% dry skull. Saxena et al (2003) [7] neurocranium of human skulls in central India, reported 11.79% epiteric type sutural bones seen in Journal Nueroscience Rural Practice, Jan 2010 Indian adult dry skulls. Saxena et al (1988) [8] 6. Oghz O & Sanli S.G ; The pterion in Turkish male reported epiteric sutural bones in 3.79% dry skulls in skulls. Surgical Radiological Anatomy: 2004, 26 (3), Nigerian population. Sushit et al (2013) [9] study 220- 224. showed that no skulls reported epiteric sutural bone. 7. Saxena R, Bilodi A, Mane S & Kumar A : Study of Susan standering et al [10] said in Grey’s Anatomy pterion in skulls of Awadh area in and around that sutural bones common in lambdoid region. Lucknow. Kathmandu University Medical Journal: 2003, 1(1), 32- 33. Conclusion: 8. Saxena S.K, Jain S.P & Chowdhary D.S. A The present study showed about 23% of skulls had comparative study of pterion formation and its sututral bones and sutural bone in the pterion variations in the skulls of Nigerians and Indians. (epiteric) is the commonest. This differs from the Anthropol: 1988, 46, 75- 82. various studies mentioned above. 9. Suchit Kumar,Anurag,Shashi Munjal,Puja The study of sutural helps the clinicians and Chauhan,Alok Chaudhary & Sanjeev Kumar Jain: radiologists from misinterpreting the sutral bone as Pterion its location and clinical implications – A study compared. Journal of Evolution of Medical and fracture skull. Dental Science: 2013, 2 (25), 4599- 4608. 10. Susan Standring et al Gray’s Anatomy 40th edition. ------------------------------------------------------ Conflict of interest: None declared No source of funding. International Journal of Current Medical And Applied Sciences [IJCMAAS], Volume : 9, Issue: 3 . Page | 128 .