Morphological and Topographical Characteristics of Parietal Foramen in the Adult Human Skull Bones of North Indian Population and Its Clinical Correlations - A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION

Parietal foramen (PF) is an inconstant small opening situated between the middle and posterior thirds of the parietal bone, close to the sagittal border, serving to protect the parietal emissary vein.

OBJECTIVE

The aim is to study the incidence and morphology of the PF in a cross-section of the adult North Indian population.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed between March 2025 and July 2025 on 60 adult human skulls available in the Department of Anatomy at AIIMS, Raebareli, RDASMC, Ayodhya, and MSDASMC, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, India. Each skull was examined for the presence of PF. Measurements included the distance between the PF and the midline of the sagittal suture (SS), as well as the distance of the foramen from lambda. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the findings.

RESULTS

The PF was absent in 12 skulls (20%), present on the SS in one skull (1.66%), unilateral in 10 skulls (16.6%), bilateral in 36 skulls (60%), and triple in one skull (1.66%). The distance between PF and lambda ranged from 2 to 4 cm in 99% of skulls, with an average distance of 31.9 ± 5.15 mm. The distance of PF from the SS (midline) varied between 2 and 6 mm in 80% of the cases. The average diameter of PF was found to be approximately 0.82 mm, ranging from 0.3 to 1.5 mm.

CONCLUSION

This descriptive study provides valuable insights into the variations of PF, which is crucial for neurosurgeons in modifying surgical procedures to prevent injury to PF-emerging structures. Understanding the frequency and location of parietal foramina is crucial for comprehending the relationship between sinuses and extracranial veins, as well as for analyzing scalp injuries.