Morphometric Study on Types of Asterion in Dry Human Skull of Nepalese Origin

Abstract

Introduction: The asterion is important bony landmark of skull important for surgical approach to the posterior cranial fossa. The variation is type of asterion is due to presence or absence of lambdoidal suture, parietomastoid suture and occipitomastoid suture. Asterion is starry or triangular depression located 2.5cm behind the upper part of root of ear. Asterion is meeting point of lambdoidal suture, parietomastoid suture and occipitomastoid suture.

Materials and Methods: Altogether 26 dry adult human skulls were collected from Department of Anatomy at School of Basic Sciences in Chitwan Medical College for research. Gender and ethnicity were undefined. All damaged skull and newborns are excluded. Both sides of skull were studied for location and type of asterion. The types of asterion were noted by observing the presence or absence of all three sutures. Photograph were taken and studied. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 17.

Results: Twenty-six human skulls of unknown gender were examined. Two types of asterion were observed. The type I asterion was 88.5 percent and type II asterion was 11.5 percent on both side of skull.

Conclusion: we believe that there are different types of asterion present in human skull. Asterion is the important surgical landmark. Thereby, the finding may be helpful in surgical approach and intervention.