What is the frontal bone and what does it form?

The frontal bone is a shell-shaped bone that forms the forehead and contributes to the roof of the orbits, the anterior cranial fossa, and part of the nasal cavity.

What are the main parts of the frontal bone?

The frontal bone consists of six parts: the squamous part, nasal part, two orbital plates, and two zygomatic processes.

What features are found on the external surface of the squamous part?

The external surface of the squamous part includes the frontal tuber (a rounded prominence above the superciliary arch), the superciliary arch (a curved ridge above each orbit), and the glabella (a median prominence between the superciliary arches).

What is the function of the orbital plates?

The orbital plates are triangular horizontal plates that form most of the roof of the orbit. Between them lies the ethmoidal notch, which accommodates the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone.

How does the frontal bone develop and ossify?

The frontal bone ossifies in membrane from two primary centers, one for each half, located near the frontal tuber. At birth, it is in two halves separated by the frontal (metopic) suture, which typically fuses by age 8, but remnants may persist as a metopic suture.

What are common clinical issues related to the frontal bone?

Common issues include orbital plate fractures, which can cause hemorrhage into the orbit with triangular-shaped subconjunctival hemorrhage, and frontal squama fractures, which in neonates may appear as depressed fractures and in adults as fissured fractures at the periphery.

What bones does the frontal bone articulate with?

The frontal bone articulates with several bones, including the nasal bones medially, the frontal process of the maxilla and lacrimal bones laterally, the zygomatic bone via the zygomatic processes, and the ethmoid bone at the ethmoidal notch.

Frontal Bone – Forehead, Orbits & Frontal Sinus

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