Scheitelbeinen

Scheitelbeinen, or parietal bones, are the paired bones that form the central portion of the skull’s roof and its upper sides. Each bone is roughly rectangular and curved, and the two meet along the sagittal suture at the skull’s midline. The external surface features the parietal eminence and the superior and inferior temporal lines, which mark attachment sites for the temporalis muscle and associated fascia.

The internal surface carries markings related to the brain and its coverings, including grooves for meningeal vessels and the superior sagittal sinus along the midline. The bones help form the calvaria, protecting the brain and contributing to the shape and strength of the skull.

Articulations: The parietal bones articulate with the frontal bone at the coronal sutures, with the occipital bone at the lambdoid sutures, and with the sphenoid and temporal bones along their borders at various sutures. They participate in the pterion, a region where several skull bones converge.

Development: Parietal bones develop by intramembranous ossification. In infants, growth occurs with the presence of fontanelles (notably the anterior and posterior fontanelles), which close as sutures ossify during early childhood.

Clinical significance: Parietal bone fractures are common with blunt head trauma. Fractures at the pterion can be clinically important because they risk injury to the middle meningeal artery, potentially leading to epidural hematoma. Variations in thickness and sutural fusion can influence fracture patterns and skull biomechanics.