title: Median frontal sutures - incidence, morphology and their surgical, radiological importance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of metopic suture in Indian human adult skulls     and to study their morphology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 81 human     adult dry skulls which were obtained from the neuroanatomy laboratory of our     institution. The skulls were macroscopically inspected at the norma frontalis     for the presence of the metopic suture and the sutures were morphologically     analyzed. The sutures were classified as complete and incomplete types. The     incomplete ones included linear type, 'V' shape and double type.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From our observations, the metopic suture was present in 52 (64.1%) cases. The     complete metopic suture was seen in only 1 skull (1.2%). The majority of the     metopics were of incomplete type, 51 (62.9%). Among the incomplete ones, 18     (22.2%) were linear, 17 (21%) were 'V' shaped and 16 were double metopics     (19.7%). No metopic sutures were associated with the Wormian bones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The morphological knowledge of the metopic suture is important for the     radiologists and neurosurgeons in day to day practice. While reading the X-ray /     CT and MRI films, the possibility of the metopic suture should be kept in mind.     This will prevent confusion and a wrong diagnosis in emergency situations.
authors.affiliation: Manipal University, Kasturba Medical College, Department of Anatomy, Mangalore (D.K.), India. flutesnowmm@gmail.com
authors.forename: B V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Murlimanju
authors.forename: Latha V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Prabhu
authors.forename: Mangala M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Avlyn Anisha
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Goveas
authors.forename: K V N
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Dhananjaya
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Somesh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003393:Cranial Sutures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005624:Frontal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014015:Tissue Banks; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult