Metopic suture and its variations

Introduction : Metopic suture is defined as a condition in which two pieces of frontal bone fail to merge in early childhood. Complete metopic suture extends from nasion to bregma and incomplete metopic suture present at the glabella of skull. It may be misdiagnosed as vertical traumatic skull fracture. Methods : This study was conducted in 50 skulls from the Department of Anatomy, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital, Pondicherry. Skulls with signs of disease and damaged skulls were excluded from the study. Metopic sutures are divided into three groups Absent, Complete and Incomplete sutures. Results : Complete metopic suture were present in 2% (1/50), Incomplete metopic suture were present in 44 %( 22/50) and Absent in 54 %( 27/50). Conclusion: The persistence of metopic suture in adults which separates the frontal bones are important in