The human cranial sutures in health and disease.

Abstract

This thesis describes the structure of normal cranial sutures and those which have undergone premature fusion or craniosyntosis. It also reports the results of investigations of human sutures to identify possible underlying aetiologies which result in premature fusion. The study also investigates the effects of these abnormally fused sutures on the affected individuals, in particular the secondary effect on intercranial volume both in those with just a single affected suture and those with multiple sutures involved as part of a syndrome.