Occipital bone
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| Bone: Occipital bone | |
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| Sagittal section of skull. (Occipital bone is at right, in blue.) | |
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| Base of the skull. Upper surface. (Occipital bone is at bottom, in blue.) | |
| Gray's | subject #31 129 |
| Articulations | the two parietals, the two temporals, the sphenoid, and the atlas |
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WikiDoc Resources for Occipital bone | |
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Most recent articles on Occipital bone Most cited articles on Occipital bone | |
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Powerpoint slides on Occipital bone | |
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Evidence Based Medicine | |
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Clinical Trials | |
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Ongoing Trials on Occipital bone at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Occipital bone Clinical Trials on Occipital bone at Google
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Guidelines / Policies / Govt | |
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US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Occipital bone NICE Guidance on Occipital bone
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Patient Resources / Community | |
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Patient resources on Occipital bone Discussion groups on Occipital bone Patient Handouts on Occipital bone Directions to Hospitals Treating Occipital bone Risk calculators and risk factors for Occipital bone
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Causes & Risk Factors for Occipital bone | |
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Overview
The occipital bone, a saucer-shaped membrane bone situated at the back and lower part of the cranium, is trapezoid in shape and curved on itself. It is pierced by a large oval aperture, the foramen magnum, through which the cranial cavity communicates with the vertebral canal.
- The curved, expanded plate behind the foramen magnum is named the squama occipitalis.
- The thick, somewhat quadrilateral piece in front of the foramen is called the basilar part of occipital bone.
- On either side of the foramen are the lateral parts of occipital bone.
Foramen magnum
- See also Foramen magnum
The foramen magnum is a large oval aperture with its long diameter antero-posterior; it is wider behind than in front where it is encroached upon by the condyles.
It transmits the medulla oblongata and its membranes, the accessory nerves, the vertebral arteries, the anterior and posterior spinal arteries, and the membrana tectoria and alar ligaments.
Angles
The superior angle of the occipital bone articulates with the occipital angles of the parietal bones and, in the fetal skull, corresponds in position with the posterior fontanelle.
The inferior angle is fused with the body of the sphenoid. The lateral angles are situated at the extremities of the grooves for the transverse sinuses: each is received into the interval between the mastoid angle of the parietal and the mastoid part of the temporal.
Borders
The superior borders extend from the superior to the lateral angles: they are deeply serrated for articulation with the occipital borders of the parietals, and form by this union the lambdoidal suture.
The inferior borders extend from the lateral angles to the inferior angle; the upper half of each articulates with the mastoid portion of the corresponding temporal, the lower half with the petrous part of the same bone.
These two portions of the inferior border are separated from one another by the jugular process, the notch on the anterior surface of which forms the posterior part of the jugular foramen.
Structure
The occipital, like the other cranial the outer and inner tables, between which is the cancellous tissue or diploë; the bone is especially thick at the ridges, protuberances, condyles, and anterior part of the basilar part; in the inferior fossæ it is thin, semitransparent, and destitute of diploë.
Additional images
 Cranial bones |
 Base of skull. Inferior surface. |
 Membrana tectoria, transverse, and alar ligaments. |
 Median sagittal section through the occipital bone and first three cervical vertebræ. |
 Muscles connecting the upper extremity to the vertebral column. |
 Upper part of medulla spinalis and hind- and mid-brains; posterior aspect, exposed in situ. |
 Muscles of the pharynx, viewed from behind, together with the associated vessels and nerves. |
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
See also
- Bone terminology
- Comparative anatomy
- Neanderthal
- Occipital bun
- Terms for anatomical location
- Ossification of occipital bone
WikiDoc Research Resources for Occipital bone | |
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| Articles on Occipital bone | Most recent articles on Occipital bone • Most cited articles on Occipital bone • Review articles on Occipital bone • Articles on Occipital bone in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ |
| Media (Slides, Video, Images, MP3) on Occipital bone | Powerpoint slides on Occipital bone • Images of Occipital bone • Photos of Occipital bone • Podcasts & MP3s on Occipital bone • Videos on Occipital bone |
| Evidence Based Medicine Regarding Occipital bone | Cochrane Collaboration on Occipital bone • Bandolier on Occipital bone • TRIP on Occipital bone |
| Cost Effectiveness of Occipital bone | Cost Effectiveness of Occipital bone |
| Clinical Trials Involving Occipital bone | Ongoing Trials on Occipital bone at Clinical Trials.gov • Trial results on Occipital bone • Clinical Trials on Occipital bone at Google |
| Guidelines / Policies / Government Resources (FDA/CDC) Regarding Occipital bone | US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Occipital bone • NICE Guidance on Occipital bone • NHS PRODIGY Guidance • FDA on Occipital bone • CDC on Occipital bone |
| Textbook Information on Occipital bone | Books and Textbook Information on Occipital bone |
| Pharmacology Resources on Occipital bone | Dosing of Occipital bone • Drug interactions with Occipital bone • Side effects of Occipital bone • Allergic reactions to Occipital bone • Overdose information on Occipital bone • Carcinogenicity information on Occipital bone • Occipital bone in pregnancy • Pharmacokinetics of Occipital bone • |
| Genetics, Pharmacogenomics, and Proteinomics of Occipital bone | Genetics of Occipital bone • Pharmacogenomics of Occipital bone • Proteomics of Occipital bone |
| Newstories on Occipital bone | Occipital bone in the news • Be alerted to news on Occipital bone • News trends on Occipital bone |
| Commentary on Occipital bone | Blogs on Occipital bone |
| Patient Resources on Occipital bone | Patient resources on Occipital bone • Discussion groups on Occipital bone • Patient Handouts on Occipital bone • Directions to Hospitals Treating Occipital bone • Risk calculators and risk factors for Occipital bone |
| Healthcare Provider Resources on Occipital bone | Symptoms of Occipital bone • Causes & Risk Factors for Occipital bone • Diagnostic studies for Occipital bone • Treatment of Occipital bone |
| Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programs on Occipital bone | CME Programs on Occipital bone |
| International Resources on Occipital bone | Occipital bone en Espanol • Occipital bone en Francais |
| Business Resources on Occipital bone | Occipital bone in the Marketplace • Patents on Occipital bone |
| Informatics Resources on Occipital bone | List of terms related to Occipital bone |
da:Nakkeben de:Hinterhauptsbeingl:Occipital ko:뒤통수뼈 it:Osso occipitale he:עצם העורף la:Os occipitale lt:Pakauškaulissk:Záhlavná kosť sl:Zatilnica sr:Потиљачна кост fi:Takaraivoluu sv:Nackben uk:Потилична кістка
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Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
