Study on metopic sutures in south Indian skulls

The midline suture between two halves of the developing frontal bone usually fuses by infancy or early childhood. In some cases it may persist in complete or incomplete metopic sutures with variable morphology.  The incidence and morphological pattern of these sutures were being studied using 120 skulls from the Department of Anatomy, Yenepoya Medical College among which 4 skulls (3.33%) showed complete metopism, 98 skulls (81.66%) showed presence of incomplete metopic suture whereas 18 skulls (15%) showed total absence of metopic suture. Of the skulls that showed incomplete metopic sutures, 96 (97.95%) were on the anterior 1/3 starting from nasion extending over glabella, 2 (2.04%) were on the middle 1/3. No suture could be found on the posterior 1/3.The morphological pattern was studied on the sutures present on anterior 1/3 of the skull. Among these, 26 (26.53%) were linear, 13 (13.26%) were double linear, 13 (13.26%) were V shaped, 12 (12.24%) were U shaped, 7 (7.14%) were H shaped, 5 (5.1%) were Y shaped. 2 (2.04%) showed inverted-U pattern whereas 18 (18.36%) showed side to side excursion patterns. The data obtained in this study will be useful in the field of Anatomy, Forensic medicine, radio diagnosis and neurosurgery.