Cranial sutures

Looks like

Wavy seams of tough fibrous tissue joining the flat bones of the skull, soft spots in babies.

What it does

Let the skull flex through birth and grow with the brain, then lock the bones together.

Keeping it well

A seam that closes too early (craniosynostosis) gives an abnormal head shape in babies and needs a specialist; a bulging soft spot in a baby is urgent.

Related conditions

• Achondroplasia
• Brain abscess
• Gout
• Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
• Lyme disease
• Marfan syndrome & connective tissue disorders
• Osteoarthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatic fever & rheumatic heart disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Temporomandibular joint disorder
• Traumatic brain injury (moderate to severe)