The history of medicine is dotted with the episodic appearance of new discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, and the development of new schools of medicine, and each has contributed to the evolution of the art and science of the practice of medicine. The founding of osteopathic medicine by Andrew Taylor Still was one such event. The development of the craniosacral concept by William G.Suther land was another. Both of these giants of osteopathic medicine en countered the reluctance of their colleagues to accept his contribu tion. Both were able to overcome this reluctance and saw the acceptance of his contribution because of the fundamental anatom ical and physiological truth supporting the concept, and the prag matic fact that their therapeutic applications were successful. Both men attracted to them individuals desirous of learning a new diag nostic and therapeutic procedure. It is fortunate that these individu als have continued to promulgate the contribution to osteopathic medicine of their mentors.

This book provides an in-depth review of the sutures of the skull. The premature closure of the sutures of the skull (craniosynostosis) due to genetic or metabolic etiologies results in typical progressive skull deformity, due to both the inhibition of growth caused by the affected cranial suture and associated compensatory expansion of the skull along the open ones. Today, it is well known that early diagnosis of craniosynostosis is crucial for the best surgical outcomes and for the normal development of the brain and cosmetic appearance of the skull. As such, in addition to the anatomy, biology, genetics and embryology of the sutures of the skull, the book also covers the diagnosis and treatment of different forms of craniosynostosis such as metopism, and animal models for cranial suture research. This comprehensive work is a valuable resource for neuroscientists at all levels, from graduate students to researchers, as well as neurosurgeons, neuroanatomists, pediatricians, and neurologists seeking both basic and more advanced information on the unique structure of the sutures of the human skull.

Historical remarks -- The cerebral architecture -- Cranial-cerebral relationships applied to microneurosurgery

A version of the OpenStax text

The human skull has many functions. The largest component of the skull, the neurocranium, protects and insulates the brain. It comprises the dome-shaped vault or calvaria, obviously a protective structure, and the more complex cranial base, which gives the vault a massive foundation and also houses the organs of hearing, balance, and smell. The facial skeleton, or splanchnocranium, encloses the upper airway and the mouth. Chewing, the cQ-ordinated action ofthe jaws and teeth, is a function of the facial skeleton. The orbits, formed from both calvarial and facial bones, house the eyes and their accessory muscles. The'skull also provides skeletal support for the muscles which affect speech and facial expression. It is largely by these that people communicate and display their emotions. Personality is judged on speech and on facial appearances, by conscious or subconscious aesthetic comparisons with cultural ideas-and prejudices. So the shape of the skull has, or can have, profound emotional significance.

Photographs of skulls and individual constituent bones illustrate their position and shape, with significant features identified. A supplementary text for courses in medical and dental anatomy and radiology,, but also useful as a reference for practitioners, and even anthropologists. No bibliography. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This is an update of the in-depth reference textbook of the same title designed as a comprehensive resource on neuroimaging of diseases of the pediatric central nervous system. The structure of the book has been extensively improved, and its contents further expanded. While still aiming at a complete coverage of diseases involving the brain, the head and neck and the spine, the chapters have been extensively rewritten so as to focus on more specific disease categories, with the aim of improving their readability and increasing their usefulness as a reference in the everyday clinical practice. The illustrations have been updated to reflect the latest techniques and findings. As in the previous work, an introductory chapter on embryology is available and the latest advances in prenatal imaging are also discussed. Detailed information is provided on imaging of the full range of diseases, including some that receive very limited attention elsewhere. This new, improved Pediatric Neuroradiology will continue to be an ideal source of information for neuroradiologists, radiologists, neurosurgeons, neurologists and pediatricians, as well as a useful teaching text for residents and fellows in training. A rich analytic index is included to ensure that the book will serve as an easily usable tool in everyday clinical practice.