Definition

1. Noun:
   • A specific cranial suture: The occipitomastoid suture is the fibrous joint connecting the occipital bone (at the back and base of the skull) to the mastoid portion of the temporal bone (located behind the ear). It is anatomically described as a continuation of the lambdoid suture.

Usage

• The is a key anatomical landmark in human osteology and craniofacial surgery.
• In forensic anthropology, the degree of fusion at the can help in estimating the age of skeletal remains.
• The surgeon carefully avoided the during the posterior cranial approach.

Advanced Usage

• Anatomical relationships: The is often discussed in relation to nearby structures, such as the asterion (the craniometric point where the suture meets the parietomastoid suture) and the attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
• Pathological context: Premature fusion (craniosynostosis) of the is rare but can lead to deformities in skull shape.

Variants and Related Words

• Suture (n): The general term for a fibrous joint between bones of the skull.
• Occipital bone (n): The bone forming the back and part of the base of the skull.
• Temporal bone (n): A bone on the side and base of the skull that contains the mastoid process.
• Lambdoid suture (n): The suture between the occipital and parietal bones, which continues as the .

Synonyms

• Occipitomastoid synostosis (n): This term refers specifically to the fused, immobile state of the joint, not the joint itself.
• No direct common synonym: In anatomical terminology, this structure is precisely referred to as the .

Related Phrases

• Cranial suture: The category to which the belongs.
• Skull suture: A more general term for the joints between cranial bones.

Noun

1. the suture between the occipital and the temporal bones; a continuation of the lamboid suture