Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionAssociated ConditionsTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Function
Associated Conditions
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
The cranium is part of the skull anatomy. The entire skull is made up of 22 bones, eight of which are cranial bones. The two main parts of the cranium are the cranial roof and the cranial base.
Connected to the cranial bones are facial bones that give structure to the face and a place for the facial muscles to attach. Together, the cranial and facial bones make up the complete skull.
The cranium has a very important job: to hold and protect the brain. It also allows passage of the cranial nerves that are essential to everyday functioning.
Thorsten Nilson / EyeEm / Getty Images
The cranium is located at the top of the head and is somewhat spherical in shape, like the shape of a baseball cap. It connects to the facial skeleton.
Though the skull appears to be one big piece of bone from the outside, it is actually made up of eight cranial bones and 14 facial bones. The cranium has two main parts—the cranial roof and the cranial base.
The cranial roof consists of thefrontal,occipital, and two parietal bones. The cranial base is composed of the frontal,sphenoid,ethmoid, occipital, parietal, andtemporalbones. As you can see, the cranial roof and cranial base are not mutually exclusive as they share some of the same bones.
The main function of the cranium is to protect the brain, which includes the cerebellum,cerebrum, andbrain stem. It also gives a surface for the facial muscles to attach to.The cranium isn’t involved with any sort of movement or activity.
Thecranial nervesoriginate inside the cranium and exit through passages in the cranial bones. These nerves are essential to everyday functioning, including smelling, seeing, and chewing. For example, thehypoglossal nervecontrols the movements of the tongue so that you can chew and speak.
There are a few categories of conditions associated with the cranium: craniofacial abnormalities, cranial tumors, and cranial fractures.
Some craniofacial abnormalities result from the skull bones fusing together too soon or in an abnormal way during infancy.
For example, meningioma is the most common type of primary brain tumor, making up about one-third of all brain tumors; they are usually benign (not cancerous).One type of meningioma is sphenoid wing meningioma, where the tumor forms on the base of the skull behind the eyes; it accounts for approximately 20% of all meningiomas.
Skull fractures are another type of condition associated with the cranium. They result from blunt force or penetrating trauma. The most common causes of traumatic head injuries are motor vehicle accidents, violence/abuse, and falls.
There are four types of skull fractures, which may or may not require surgical intervention based on the severity. Depending on the location of the fracture, blood vessels might be injured, which can cause blood to accumulate between the skull and the brain, leading to a hematoma (blood clot).
Epidural hematomais the most common type of hematoma resulting from a skull fracture.Like fractures, hematomas can range from mild to severe.
Treatment of cranial injuries depends on the type of injury. For example, some craniofacial abnormalities can be corrected with surgery.
A linear skull fracture, the most common type of skull fracture where the bone is broken but the bone does not move, usually doesn’t require more intervention than brief observation in the hospital.
Tumors require a medical team to treat. Radiation therapy and surgery are the most common initial treatments, while sometimes the best thing is close observation; chemotherapy is rarely used.
If surgery is indicated, some may be more difficult depending on the location of the cranial tumor. For instance, skull base meningiomas, which grow on the base of the skull, are more difficult to remove than convexity meningiomas, which grow on top of the brain.
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Does “cranium” also mean “head”?
Generally speaking, yes. The cranium refers to the cranial roof and base, which make up the top, sides, back, and bottom of the skull. The rest is made up of facial bones.
How many bones are in the skull?
What kind of protection does the cranium provide?
The cranium houses and protects the brain. The cranium is pretty robust because it has such a high-stakes job of protecting the brain. However, cranial bone fractures can happen, which can increase the risk of brain injury. But some fractures are mild enough that they can heal without much intervention.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Skull anatomy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Craniosynostosis.MedlinePlus.Craniofacial abnormalities.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Meningioma.Cleveland Clinic.Meningioma.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Head injury.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Skull anatomy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Craniosynostosis.MedlinePlus.Craniofacial abnormalities.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Meningioma.Cleveland Clinic.Meningioma.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Head injury.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Skull anatomy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Craniosynostosis.MedlinePlus.Craniofacial abnormalities.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Meningioma.Cleveland Clinic.Meningioma.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Head injury.
MedlinePlus.Skull anatomy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Craniosynostosis.
MedlinePlus.Craniofacial abnormalities.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Meningioma.
Cleveland Clinic.Meningioma.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Head injury.
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