Are There Any Regularities in Cranial Sutures ?

Abstract

Fractal dimensions (D) were calculated for quantitative description of microscopic irregularities of suture-lines (sagittal, coronal, lamboid) in human cranial vaults. These suture-lines were found to be fractal curves with 1.2<D <1.5. Fractal dimensions did not differ with kinds of suture-lines, ages and individuals. Thus, characteristics of wave forms between different kinds of suture-lines could not be shown with fractal dimensions. Wavelengths were measured to analyze apparent macroscopic regularities in sagittal sutures. Wavelengths were found to differ with ages and three age stages were distinguished: growth, fusing and obliterating stages. In the growth stage, there were less differences in wavelengths between individuals than in other stages.