Skip to main content
Log in

The incidence and types of sella and sphenopetrous bridges

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Neurosurgical Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The incidence and types of sella and sphenopetrous bridges were investigated in 37 adult male and 43 adult female (a total of 80) dry skulls with removed calvarias. In addition to this, the sellar and parasellar region of ten fixed cadavers (two female and eight male) were carefully dissected, and the individuals were examined for the evidence of sella and sphenopetrous bridges. Sella bridges were seen in 34.17% of the subjects overall. The trace, incomplete and complete types were 11.9%, 3.7% and 17.5%, respectively. On the other hand, sphenopetrous bridges were observed in 15.8% of the male and 4.9% of the female subjects overall. The cadaveric investigation revealed one trace, three incomplete, and one complete sella bridge in three cadavers. In addition to this, a complete sphenopetrous bridge was detected in one of the cadavers. Variations in the cranial base are of importance for surgical approaches in that location.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Agati D (1940) Selle turciche di frenopatici. Rilievo anatomo-radiografico su 196 crani di frenopatici. Arch Radiol 16:5–23

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bergerhoff W (1964) Atlas anatomischer Varianten des Schädels im Röntgenbild. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  3. De Villiers H (1968) The skull of the African Negro. Witwaters University Press, Johannesburg

    Google Scholar 

  4. Destrieux C, Velut S, Kakou MK, Lefrancq T, Arbeille B, Santini JJ (1997) A new concept in Dorello’s canal microanatomy: the petroclival venous confluence. J Neurosurg 87:67–72

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dodo Y, Ishida H (1987) Incidences of nonmetrical cranial variants in several population samples from East Asia and North America. J Anthropol Soc Nippon 95:161–177

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hauser G, De Stefano GF (1989) Epigenetic variants of the human skull. E Schweizerbartsche Verlagsbuchhandlung (Nageleu. Obermiller), Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hochstetter F (1940) Toldts Anatomischer Atlas, vol 1, 18th edn. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Berlin Wien

    Google Scholar 

  8. Inoue T, Rhoton Jr. AL, Theele D, Barry ME (1990) Surgical approaches to the cavernous sinus: a microsurgical study. Neurosurgery 26:903–931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Kinmann J (1977) Surgical aspects of the anatomy of the sphenoidal sinuses and the sella turcica. J Anat 124:541–553

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lang J (1977) Structure and postnatal organization of heretofore uninvestigated and infrequent ossifications of the sella turcica region. Acta Anat 99:121–139

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lang J (1995) Skull base and related structures—atlas of clinical anatomy. Schattauer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  12. Martin HO (1941) Sella turcica und Konstitution. Thieme, Leipzig

    Google Scholar 

  13. Maxia C (1950) Sul significato morfologico della frequenza dei processi clinoidei e della fusione nel cranio umano. Rass Med Sarda 1:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ossenberg NS (1970) The influence of artificial cranial deformation on discontinuous morphological traits. Am J Phys Anthropol 33:357–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ossenberg NS (1976) Within and between race distances in population studies based on discrete traits of the human skull. Am J Phys Anthropol 45:701–715

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Platzer W (1957) Zur Anatomie der “Sellabrücke” und ihrer Beziehung zur Arteria carotis interna. Fortschr Rontgenstr 87:613–616

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Samii M, Draf W (1989) Surgery of the skull base (an interdisciplinary approach). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  18. Schneider AJ (1939) Sellabrücken und Konstitution. Thieme, Leipzig

    Google Scholar 

  19. Umansky F, Elidan J, Valarezo A (1991) Dorello’s canal: a microanatomic study. J Neurosurg 75:294–298

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Williams PL, Warwick R, Dyson M, Bannister LH (1993) Gray’s anatomy, 37th edn. ELBS with Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Peker.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peker, T., Anıl, A., Gülekon, N. et al. The incidence and types of sella and sphenopetrous bridges. Neurosurg Rev 29, 219–223 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-006-0018-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-006-0018-8

Keywords

Navigation