The squamous part of the frontal bone is the superior (approximately two thirds) portion when viewed in standard anatomical orientation. There are two surfaces of the squamous part of the

frontal bone In the human skull, the frontal bone or sincipital bone is an unpaired bone which consists of two portions.'' Gray's Anatomy'' (1918) These are the vertically oriented squamous part, and the horizontally oriented orbital part, making up the bo ...

: the external surface, and the internal surface.

External surface

The external surface is convex and usually exhibits, in the lower part of the middle line, the remains of the

frontal suture The frontal suture is a fibrous joint that divides the two halves of the frontal bone of the skull in infants and children. Typically, it completely fuses between three and nine months of age, with the two halves of the frontal bone being fused t ...

; in infancy this suture divides the frontal bone into two and later fuses. A condition where fusion has not taken place, may persist throughout life and is referred to as a ''metopic suture''. On either side of this suture, about 3 cm. above the supraorbital margin, is a rounded elevation, the

frontal eminence A frontal eminence (or ''tuber frontale'') is either of two rounded elevations on the frontal bone of the skull. They lie about 3 cm above the supraorbital margin on each side of the frontal suture. They are the site of ossification Ossific ...

(tuber frontale). These eminences vary in size in different individuals, are occasionally unsymmetrical, and are especially prominent in young skulls; the surface of the bone above them is smooth, and covered by the epicranial aponeurosis. Below the frontal eminences, and separated from them by a shallow groove, are two arched elevations, the superciliary arches; these are prominent medially, and are joined to one another by a smooth elevation named the

glabella The glabella, in humans, is the area of skin between the eyebrows and above the nose. The term also refers to the underlying bone that is slightly depressed, and joins the two brow ridges. It is a cephalometric landmark that is just superior ...

. They are larger in the male than in the female, and their degree of prominence depends to some extent on the size of the frontal air sinuses; prominent ridges are, however, occasionally associated with small air sinuses. Beneath each superciliary arch is a curved and prominent margin, the

supraorbital margin The brow ridge, or supraorbital ridge known as superciliary arch in medicine, is a bony ridge located above the eye sockets of all primates and some other animals. In humans, the Eyebrow, eyebrows are located on their lower margin. Structure The ...

, which forms the upper boundary of the base of the

orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...

, and separates the squamous part from the orbital portion of the bone. The lateral part of this margin is sharp and prominent, affording to the eye, in that situation, considerable protection from injury; the medial part is rounded. At the junction of its medial and intermediate thirds is a notch, sometimes converted into a

foramen In anatomy and osteology, a foramen (; : foramina, or foramens ; ) is an opening or enclosed gap within the dense connective tissue (bones and deep fasciae) of extant and extinct amniote animals, typically to allow passage of nerves, artery, ...

, the

supraorbital notch The supraorbital foramen, is a bony elongated opening located above the orbit (eye socket) and under the forehead. It is part of the frontal bone of the skull. The supraorbital foramen lies directly under the eyebrow. In some people this foramen ...

or foramen, which transmits the supraorbital vessels and nerve. A small aperture in the upper part of the notch transmits a vein from the

diploë Diploë ( or ) is the spongy cancellous bone separating the inner and outer layers of the cortical bone of the skull. It is a subclass of trabecular bone. In the cranial bones, the layers of compact cortical tissue are familiarly known as the ...

to join the supraorbital vein. The supraorbital margin ends laterally in the

zygomatic process The zygomatic processes (aka. malar) are three processes (protrusions) from other bones of the skull which each articulate with the zygomatic bone. The three processes are: * Zygomatic process of frontal bone from the frontal bone * Zygomatic ...

, which is strong and prominent, and articulates with the

zygomatic bone In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from ), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone, situated at the upper and lateral part of the face and forming part of the lateral wall and floor of the orbit, of the temporal fos ...

. Running upward and backward from this process is a well-marked line, the temporal line, which divides into the upper and lower temporal lines, continuous, in the articulated skull, with the corresponding lines on the parietal bone. The area below and behind the temporal line forms the anterior part of the

temporal fossa The temporal fossa is a fossa (shallow depression) on the side of the skull bounded by the temporal lines above, and the zygomatic arch below. Its floor is formed by the outer surfaces of four bones of the skull. The fossa is filled by the te ...

, and gives origin to the

temporalis muscle In anatomy, the temporalis muscle, also known as the temporal muscle, is one of the muscles of mastication (chewing). It is a broad, fan-shaped convergent muscle on each side of the head that fills the temporal fossa, superior to the zygomatic a ...

. Between the supraorbital margins the squamous part projects downward to a level below that of the zygomatic processes. It meets the

nasal bone The nasal bones are two small oblong bones, varying in size and form in different individuals; they are placed side by side at the middle and upper part of the face and by their junction, form the bridge of the upper one third of the nose. Eac ...

where it presents a rough, uneven serrated notch known as the nasal notch, and this articulates on either side of the middle line with the nasal bone, and laterally with the

frontal process of the maxilla The frontal process of the maxilla is a strong plate, which projects upward, medialward, and backward from the maxilla, forming part of the lateral boundary of the nose. Its ''lateral surface'' is smooth, continuous with the anterior surface of t ...

and with the lacrimal. This part is sometimes called the nasal part of frontal bone. The term

nasion The nasion () is the most anterior point of the frontonasal suture that joins the nasal part of the frontal bone and the nasal bones. It marks the midpoint at the intersection of the frontonasal suture with the internasal suture joining the na ...

is applied to the middle of the frontonasal suture. From the center of the notch the nasal process projects downward and forward beneath the nasal bones and frontal processes of the

maxilla In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...

e, and supports the bridge of the nose. The nasal process ends below in a sharp spine, and on either side of this is a small grooved surface which enters into the formation of the roof of the corresponding nasal cavity. The spine forms part of the

septum In biology, a septum (Latin language, Latin for ''something that encloses''; septa) is a wall, dividing a Body cavity, cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate. Examples Hum ...

of the nose, articulating in front with the crest of the nasal bones and behind with the perpendicular plate of the

ethmoid The ethmoid bone (; from ) is an unpaired bone in the skull that separates the nasal cavity from the brain. It is located at the roof of the nose, between the two orbit (anatomy), orbits. The cubical (cube-shaped) bone is lightweight due to a sp ...

Internal surface

The internal surface of the squamous part is concave and presents in the upper part of the middle line a vertical groove, the sagittal sulcus, the edges of which unite below to form a ridge, the frontal crest; the sulcus lodges the superior sagittal sinus, while its margins and the crest afford attachment to the falx cerebri. The crest ends below in a small notch which is converted into a foramen, the foramen cecum, by articulation with the

. This foramen varies in size in different subjects, and is frequently impervious; when open, it transmits a vein from the nose to the superior sagittal sinus. On either side of the middle line the bone presents depressions for the convolutions of the brain, and numerous small furrows for the anterior branches of the middle meningeal vessels. Several small, irregular fossae may also be seen on either side of the sagittal sulcus, for the reception of the

arachnoid granulations Arachnoid granulations (also arachnoid villi, and Pacchionian granulations or bodies) are small outpouchings of the arachnoid mater and subarachnoid space into the dural venous sinuses of the brain. The granulations are thought to mediate the d ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Bones of the head and neck