Acia anal. 105: 469-474 (1979)
Incidence of the metopic suture in adult Indian crania S. K. Agarwal, V. K. Malholra and S. P. Tewari Department of Anatomy, G.S.V.M. Medical College. Kanpur. India
Key words. Metopic suture • Complete • Incomplete
Introduction The two halves of the frontal bone may fuse at the end of 1st year after birth or early in the 2nd year [Keith, 1948). The frontal suture may close towards the end of the 2nd year and I year or 2 after or may persist as a rudiment at the lower end [Piersol, 1916; Romanes, 1972; Warwick and Williams, 1973], The two halves of the frontal bone arc separated until about 6 years of age by a median or interfrontal or metopic suture [Hess, 1945; Torgersen, 1950]. Occasionally the metopic suture persists in extreme old age. after the other sutures have disappeared [Piersol, 1916], When a complete metopic suture is present sepa rating the (wo halves, the condition is termed metopism, which is said to occur more frequently in higher races, and has no definite relation to brachycephaly [Bryce, 1915]. Wood Jones [1953] is of the opinion that when the metopic suture persists it has very de finite characteristics. It is a typical dentate suture. The edges of the two bones being finely serrated from the nasion to a point about 2 cm anterior to the coronal
suture when its course becomes more simple and direct. This simple posterior part is the pars bregmatica and the area included within the anterior fontanelle. The posterior end of the suture does not meet the sagittal suture and may miss it by an interval as great as 15 mm. In the same way, the anterior end of the suture fails to meet the suture between the two nasal bones. It is commonly said that even in the adult, some traces of the suture persist at the nasion. In the case of a true persistent metopic suture, the part immediately above the nasion is normally linear and simple, the so-called persistent lower remnant of the otherwise obliterated suture is highly complex and marked by wide sidc-to side excursions. Not very rarely in the fetus or infant, a dilatation of the fissure metopic fontanelle is found near the upper part of its lower third. There are a few cases of traces of it in the adult [Schwalbe. 1901; Breallmach, 1958], Metopism has been found to exist in 8.7% of European skulls, in 5.1% of Mongolian races, in 1.2% of Negro, in 1% of Australian skulls and in 9.5%
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Abstract. 1.276 adult Indian skulls were examined for the incidence of the metopic suture. It was observed that metopism was present in 2.66% of the skulls and metopic sutures were pre sent in 38.17% of the skulls. The metopic suture was present in the lower part of the frontal bone in various shapes in 35.27% of cases. The incidence in the upper, upper middle and lower middle parts of the frontal bone is 0.8% in each type. Besides the above-mentioned findings a peculiar type of shape was seen in 0.63 (inverted y) and a radiating type in 0.31 % of the skulls.
Agarwal/Malhotra/Tewari
470
Table I Incidence of extent and shape of the metopic suture in the present study Extent and shape of suture
Skulls n
%
Complete Incomplete Upper Upper middle Lower middle Lower Linear •U'-shaped 'V'-shaped 'Y'-shaped . ‘H'-shaped Inverted 'Y’-shaped Radiating type
34
2.66
1 1 1 450 295 67 31 25 20 8 4
0.08 0.08 0.08 35.27 23.12 5.25 2.43 1.96 1.57 0.63 0.31
Total
487
38.17
from a single series of 750 skulls from Scotland [Bryce, 1915], However, Keith [1948) reported 3 8% of in dividuals according to race. The incidence of metopism is 7-10% in Europeans, 4-5% in the yellow races and 1% in African skulls [Breathnach, 1958], while Ro manes [1972] described the metopism to occur in up to 8% in Europeans. In Indian subjects. Jit and Shah [1948] noted me topism in 5% while Das et al. [1973] observed it in 3.31% of skulls. They have also studied the incidence and variations in shape in incomplete metopic sutures. The present study has been undertaken to study the incidence of metopic sutures and variations in shape in Indian skulls.
Material and methods A total of 1.276 skulls of unknown sex, all adult or of elderly age, from the Anthropology Museum of the Department of Anatomy, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur ( India) were examined.
Observations
Reference
Bryce [1915]
Jit and Shah [1948] Keith [1948] Breathnach [ 1958]
Romanes [1972] Das et al. [1973] Present work
Race
Per cen tage
8.7 European Mongolian 5.1 1.2 Negro Australian 1.0 Scot land 9.5 Indian (Punjabi) 5.0 Subject to race 3-8 European 7-10 Yellow races 4-5 Africans 1.0 Europeans up to 8.0 Indian 3.31 Indian 2.66
Discussion In the present study, the incidence of metopism is 2.66%. while it ranges between I and 10% in the studies of other workers (table II). We noted the presence of metopic place between the Africans (1%) and the
Fig.l. Complete metopic suture (metopism). Fig.2. Incomplete - upper and middle. Fig.3. Incomplete - upper. Fig.4. Incomplete - middle and lower.
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Table II. Comparison of the incidence of metopism with that reported by other workers
The metopic suture was present in 487 out of the 1.276 skulls studied. Metopism was seen in 34 skulls. In the remaining skulls the extent and the shape of the suture was recorded (table I).
3
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Incidence of the nielopic suture in adult Indian crania 471
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472 Agarwal/Malhoira/Tewarl
473
Incidence of the metopic suture in adult Indian crania
Table I I I . Comparison of the incidence of in complete metopic suture (fig.Ill to X) with that re ported by other workers. Extent and shape of suture
Inderjit and Das el al. Present Shah [1948] [1973] work
Incomplete •U '-shaped 'V’-shaped "Y'-shaped ’H'-shaped Inverted 'Y'-shaped Radiating type
_ 11.25 1.25 1.25 -
17.57 1.01 1.93 0.28 -
35.51 3.25 2.43 1.96 1.57 0.63 0.31
Mongolians (5%). However, the incidence of metopism observed by Jit and Shah [194B] and Das et al. [1973] is higher than ours (table II). We noted the presence of metopic sutures in 38.17% of the skulls, which is higher than the incidence reported by Jit and Shah [1948; 32.5%] and Das et al. [1973, 24.65%]. Wood Jones [1953] reported that the anterior and posterior ends of the metopic sutures did not meet with the sagittal and intranasal sutures, respectively. We found that it met with both (fig. 1, 2). The metopic su-
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Fig.8. Incomplete lower ‘H‘ type Fig.9. Incomplete - lower inverted ‘Y’ type. Fig. 10. Incomplete lower radiating type.
Fig.5. Incomplete - lower 'U ' type Fig. 6. Incomplete - lower ‘V’ type Fig.7. Incomplete - lower ‘Y’ type
Agarwal/Malhotra/Tewari
474
References Breathnach, A.S.: Frazer’s anatomy of the human skeleton; 5th ed. (Churchill, London 1958). Bryce, T. H.: Quain’s elements of anatomy; 11th ed., voI.4/1 (Longmans, Green, London 1915). Das, A. C .; Saxena, R. C., and Beg, M. A. Q .: Incidence of metopic suture in UP subjects. J. anat. Soc. India 22: 140(1973). Hess, L.: Hum. Biol. 17: 107 (1945); cited in Bryce (1915). Jit, I. and Shah. M. A.: Incidence of frontal or metopic suture amongst Punjabi adults. Indian med. Gaz. 83: 507 (1948).
Keith, A.: Human embryology and morphology; 6th ed. (Arnold, London 1948). Piersol, G.A.: Human anatomy; 5th ed. (Lippincott, Philadelphia 1916). Romanes, G .J.: Cunningham's text book of anatomy; I Ith ed. (Oxford University Press, London 1972). Schwalbe, G.: Z. Morph. Anthrop. 3: (1901); cited in Bryce (1915). Torgersen. J.: Acta radiol. 33: 1 (1950); cited in Bryce (1915). Warwick, R. and Williams, P. L.: Gray's anatomy; 35th ed. (Longmans, London 1973). Wood Jones, F .: Buchanan's manual of anatomy; 8th ed. (Bailliere, Tindall, London 1953).
Received: June 1, 1979 Dr. S.K. Agarwal, MS, Department of Anatomy, G.S.V.M. Medical College. Kanpur (India)
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lures in the lower part (incomplete) showed variations in shape, and their incidence was compared with that reported by other Indian workers (table 111. fig.3-8). We also found the presence of inverted-‘Y' and radiating-type sutures (fig. 9, 10). These shapes were not noted by other workers.
Incidence of the metopic suture in adult Indian crania S. K. Agarwal, V. K. Malholra and S. P. Tewari Department of Anatomy, G.S.V.M. Medical College. Kanpur. India
Key words. Metopic suture • Complete • Incomplete
Introduction The two halves of the frontal bone may fuse at the end of 1st year after birth or early in the 2nd year [Keith, 1948). The frontal suture may close towards the end of the 2nd year and I year or 2 after or may persist as a rudiment at the lower end [Piersol, 1916; Romanes, 1972; Warwick and Williams, 1973], The two halves of the frontal bone arc separated until about 6 years of age by a median or interfrontal or metopic suture [Hess, 1945; Torgersen, 1950]. Occasionally the metopic suture persists in extreme old age. after the other sutures have disappeared [Piersol, 1916], When a complete metopic suture is present sepa rating the (wo halves, the condition is termed metopism, which is said to occur more frequently in higher races, and has no definite relation to brachycephaly [Bryce, 1915]. Wood Jones [1953] is of the opinion that when the metopic suture persists it has very de finite characteristics. It is a typical dentate suture. The edges of the two bones being finely serrated from the nasion to a point about 2 cm anterior to the coronal
suture when its course becomes more simple and direct. This simple posterior part is the pars bregmatica and the area included within the anterior fontanelle. The posterior end of the suture does not meet the sagittal suture and may miss it by an interval as great as 15 mm. In the same way, the anterior end of the suture fails to meet the suture between the two nasal bones. It is commonly said that even in the adult, some traces of the suture persist at the nasion. In the case of a true persistent metopic suture, the part immediately above the nasion is normally linear and simple, the so-called persistent lower remnant of the otherwise obliterated suture is highly complex and marked by wide sidc-to side excursions. Not very rarely in the fetus or infant, a dilatation of the fissure metopic fontanelle is found near the upper part of its lower third. There are a few cases of traces of it in the adult [Schwalbe. 1901; Breallmach, 1958], Metopism has been found to exist in 8.7% of European skulls, in 5.1% of Mongolian races, in 1.2% of Negro, in 1% of Australian skulls and in 9.5%
Downloaded by: UCSF Library & CKM 132.174.255.215 - 10/31/2017 10:08:34 PM
Abstract. 1.276 adult Indian skulls were examined for the incidence of the metopic suture. It was observed that metopism was present in 2.66% of the skulls and metopic sutures were pre sent in 38.17% of the skulls. The metopic suture was present in the lower part of the frontal bone in various shapes in 35.27% of cases. The incidence in the upper, upper middle and lower middle parts of the frontal bone is 0.8% in each type. Besides the above-mentioned findings a peculiar type of shape was seen in 0.63 (inverted y) and a radiating type in 0.31 % of the skulls.
Agarwal/Malhotra/Tewari
470
Table I Incidence of extent and shape of the metopic suture in the present study Extent and shape of suture
Skulls n
%
Complete Incomplete Upper Upper middle Lower middle Lower Linear •U'-shaped 'V'-shaped 'Y'-shaped . ‘H'-shaped Inverted 'Y’-shaped Radiating type
34
2.66
1 1 1 450 295 67 31 25 20 8 4
0.08 0.08 0.08 35.27 23.12 5.25 2.43 1.96 1.57 0.63 0.31
Total
487
38.17
from a single series of 750 skulls from Scotland [Bryce, 1915], However, Keith [1948) reported 3 8% of in dividuals according to race. The incidence of metopism is 7-10% in Europeans, 4-5% in the yellow races and 1% in African skulls [Breathnach, 1958], while Ro manes [1972] described the metopism to occur in up to 8% in Europeans. In Indian subjects. Jit and Shah [1948] noted me topism in 5% while Das et al. [1973] observed it in 3.31% of skulls. They have also studied the incidence and variations in shape in incomplete metopic sutures. The present study has been undertaken to study the incidence of metopic sutures and variations in shape in Indian skulls.
Material and methods A total of 1.276 skulls of unknown sex, all adult or of elderly age, from the Anthropology Museum of the Department of Anatomy, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur ( India) were examined.
Observations
Reference
Bryce [1915]
Jit and Shah [1948] Keith [1948] Breathnach [ 1958]
Romanes [1972] Das et al. [1973] Present work
Race
Per cen tage
8.7 European Mongolian 5.1 1.2 Negro Australian 1.0 Scot land 9.5 Indian (Punjabi) 5.0 Subject to race 3-8 European 7-10 Yellow races 4-5 Africans 1.0 Europeans up to 8.0 Indian 3.31 Indian 2.66
Discussion In the present study, the incidence of metopism is 2.66%. while it ranges between I and 10% in the studies of other workers (table II). We noted the presence of metopic place between the Africans (1%) and the
Fig.l. Complete metopic suture (metopism). Fig.2. Incomplete - upper and middle. Fig.3. Incomplete - upper. Fig.4. Incomplete - middle and lower.
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Table II. Comparison of the incidence of metopism with that reported by other workers
The metopic suture was present in 487 out of the 1.276 skulls studied. Metopism was seen in 34 skulls. In the remaining skulls the extent and the shape of the suture was recorded (table I).
3
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Incidence of the nielopic suture in adult Indian crania 471
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472 Agarwal/Malhoira/Tewarl
473
Incidence of the metopic suture in adult Indian crania
Table I I I . Comparison of the incidence of in complete metopic suture (fig.Ill to X) with that re ported by other workers. Extent and shape of suture
Inderjit and Das el al. Present Shah [1948] [1973] work
Incomplete •U '-shaped 'V’-shaped "Y'-shaped ’H'-shaped Inverted 'Y'-shaped Radiating type
_ 11.25 1.25 1.25 -
17.57 1.01 1.93 0.28 -
35.51 3.25 2.43 1.96 1.57 0.63 0.31
Mongolians (5%). However, the incidence of metopism observed by Jit and Shah [194B] and Das et al. [1973] is higher than ours (table II). We noted the presence of metopic sutures in 38.17% of the skulls, which is higher than the incidence reported by Jit and Shah [1948; 32.5%] and Das et al. [1973, 24.65%]. Wood Jones [1953] reported that the anterior and posterior ends of the metopic sutures did not meet with the sagittal and intranasal sutures, respectively. We found that it met with both (fig. 1, 2). The metopic su-
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Fig.8. Incomplete lower ‘H‘ type Fig.9. Incomplete - lower inverted ‘Y’ type. Fig. 10. Incomplete lower radiating type.
Fig.5. Incomplete - lower 'U ' type Fig. 6. Incomplete - lower ‘V’ type Fig.7. Incomplete - lower ‘Y’ type
Agarwal/Malhotra/Tewari
474
References Breathnach, A.S.: Frazer’s anatomy of the human skeleton; 5th ed. (Churchill, London 1958). Bryce, T. H.: Quain’s elements of anatomy; 11th ed., voI.4/1 (Longmans, Green, London 1915). Das, A. C .; Saxena, R. C., and Beg, M. A. Q .: Incidence of metopic suture in UP subjects. J. anat. Soc. India 22: 140(1973). Hess, L.: Hum. Biol. 17: 107 (1945); cited in Bryce (1915). Jit, I. and Shah. M. A.: Incidence of frontal or metopic suture amongst Punjabi adults. Indian med. Gaz. 83: 507 (1948).
Keith, A.: Human embryology and morphology; 6th ed. (Arnold, London 1948). Piersol, G.A.: Human anatomy; 5th ed. (Lippincott, Philadelphia 1916). Romanes, G .J.: Cunningham's text book of anatomy; I Ith ed. (Oxford University Press, London 1972). Schwalbe, G.: Z. Morph. Anthrop. 3: (1901); cited in Bryce (1915). Torgersen. J.: Acta radiol. 33: 1 (1950); cited in Bryce (1915). Warwick, R. and Williams, P. L.: Gray's anatomy; 35th ed. (Longmans, London 1973). Wood Jones, F .: Buchanan's manual of anatomy; 8th ed. (Bailliere, Tindall, London 1953).
Received: June 1, 1979 Dr. S.K. Agarwal, MS, Department of Anatomy, G.S.V.M. Medical College. Kanpur (India)
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lures in the lower part (incomplete) showed variations in shape, and their incidence was compared with that reported by other Indian workers (table 111. fig.3-8). We also found the presence of inverted-‘Y' and radiating-type sutures (fig. 9, 10). These shapes were not noted by other workers.
