Postnatal changes in the styloid process, vagina processus styloidei, and stylomastoid foramen in relation to the function of muscles originating from the styloid process.

We investigated age-related changes in the styloid process in 88 skulls, aged from 5 months to 85 years of age. The osseous styloid process was not well developed in children. Its length increased significantly with age (from 2.

Postnatal changes in osseous and mucosal morphology of the hard palate.

We investigated the postnatal changes in the dimensions, configuration, and surface pattern of the hard palate in 68 skulls, ranging in age from birth to 90 years of age. The number of palatine rugae of the palatine mucosa was assessed in 168 living subjects aged 11-98 years. Before the first dentition appeared, the osseous palate was concave, smooth, and lacked alveolar processes.

Age-related changes in the anatomical landmarks of the osseous epipharynx.

We investigated age-related spatial relations of the osseous epipharynx--the region between the vomer and the anterior border of the great occipital foramen (basion) on 60 skulls of both sexes: 16 adult (age range 21-59 years), 19 aged (age range 60-86 years), and macerated occipital bones, sphenoid bones, and vomers in 25 specimens of children disarticulated skulls aged 1-15 years. We measured the distances basion-tuberculum pharyngeum, tuberculum pharyngeum-ala vomeris, tuberculum pharyngeum-crista choanalis vomeris, basion-crista choanalis vomeris, width of the pars basilaris at the level of the tuberculum pharyngeum, narrowest width of the pars basilaris, width at the level of pyramidal apexes; and width at the level of laminae mediates processus pterygoidei of the sphenoid bone. We found a statistically significant increase in the frontal and sagittal measurements of the osseous epipharynx increasing from childhood to adulthood, without further significant changes into old age.

Lost and found anatomical terms: Crista choanalis vomeris.

Pars cuneiformis vomeris and Crista choanalis are morphological structures on the vomer listed in the current official anatomical nomenclature, Terminologia anatomica, but are either not mentioned or incorrectly described in different anatomical books. The term Crista choanalis vomeris was originally proposed by Drago Perović in 1958 to describe the vertical crest beginning at the angle of the alae vomeris, running downwards to the posterior free margin of the vomer. Perović also described the part of the vomer behind this crest was shaped as a cone, and termed it Pars cuneiformis vomeris.

Relations of the pterygoid hamulus and hard palate in children and adults: anatomical implications for the function of the soft palate.

We investigated spatial relations of the pterygoid hamuli to the hard palate on 65 skull bases: 31 disarticulated sphenoidal bones from the newborn up to 9 years of age, 19 skulls of adult skeletons (21-59 age group), and 15 skulls aged 60-100 years. We measured: (a) width of the hard palate in the choanal region, (b) length of the hamulus, (c) inclination of the hamulus from the perpendicular line, and (d) distance between the tips of the contralateral hamuli. The width of the hard palate in the choanal region was smallest in children (mean +/- standard deviation, 21.

Postnatal changes of the clivus.

We studied the size of the clival region (length, widest and narrowest diameter, and distance between two jugular tuberculi) in 77 skull bases or occipital and sphenoid bones from skeletons aged 3-80 years. The comparison of the measurement points among the age groups (3-10, 11-25, 26-60, and 61-80 years) showed that the final length of the clivus was reached by 11 years of life in both men and women, and then remained constant throughout life. All other measurements did not differ among the age groups.

The sequence in appearance and disappearance of impressiones gyrorum cerebri and cerebelli.

We investigated the sequence and the intensity in the appearance and the disappearance of the impressiones gyrorum cerebri and cerebelli, of juga cerebralia and cerebellaria and of juga cerebellaria interlobularia in the collection of 34 macerated and disarticulated skull bones from the newborn to 30 years of age (68 specimens/halves of skulls) and 19 skulls in the period from 30 to 80 years of age (38 specimens). Juga cerebralia on the squama of the temporal bone and cerebral lamina of the frontal bone appeared already in the course of the first year of life, much earlier than cited in the literature. The intensity of the development of juga cerebralia increased to the third decade.

The fate of the arachnoid villi in humans.

Villi arachnoidales undergoes in the course of life changes in relation to the skull bones and sinuses. Our aim was to determine the relations of the villi arachnoidales to the skull bone and/or sinuses from the neonatal period to adults. The investigations were performed on collection of 50 disarticulated macerated skull bones from the new-born to 30 years of age and on 20 skulls from individuals in the life period from 30 to 80 years of age.