WORMIAN BONES IN THE HUMAN SKULL: ANATOMICAL DISTRIBUTION, SHAPE PATTERNS, AND ASSOCIATION WITH CRANIAL SUTURE LENGTHS

ASHOK PAL GOBIND; VIDYA R. PILLAI; RITURAJ MAJUMDER; ARBIND KUMAR CHOUDHARY

doi:10.22159/ijcpr.2025v17i4.7020

Authors

ASHOK PAL GOBIND Department of Anatomy, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS), Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
VIDYA R. PILLAI Department of Anatomy, A. J. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kuntikana, NH-66, Mangalore-575004, Karnataka, India
RITURAJ MAJUMDER Department of Anatomy, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS), Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3543-4596
ARBIND KUMAR CHOUDHARY Department of Pharmacology, Government Erode Medical College and Hospital, Erode, Tamil Nadu-638002, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22159/ijcpr.2025v17i4.7020

Keywords:

Wormian bones, Cranial sutures, Sutural ossicles, Anatomical variation, Lambdoid suture, Skull morphometry, Forensic anthropology

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and morphological characteristics of Wormian bones in adult human skulls, and to assess their association with the lengths of major cranial sutures.

Methods: A total of 125 fully ossified adult skulls were examined from osteological archives at ANIIMS (Port Blair) and AJIMS and RC (Mangaluru). Wormian bones were identified across predefined cranial suture sites. Their shape and edge morphology were categorized, and the lengths of the sagittal, coronal, and lambdoid sutures were measured using standardized osteometric techniques. Group comparisons were performed using independent t-tests.

Results: Wormian bones were present in 48.8% of specimens. The lambdoid suture was the most frequently involved site, followed by the lambda and sagittal sutures. Quadrangular ossicles were the predominant morphological type. Comparative analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in mean cranial suture lengths between skulls with and without Wormian bones (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Wormian bones represent common anatomical variants in the examined population, with a predilection for the posterior cranial vault. Despite their morphologic variability, they do not significantly influence the linear dimensions of major cranial sutures. Recognizing their typical features and locations is essential for accurate radiological assessment and anthropological documentation.

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