Sutures are?

Sutures are?

• A. Fibrous, immobile joints between skull bones
• B. Synovial joints of the jaw
• C. Cartilaginous connections between vertebrae
• D. Flexible fibrous bands linking skull bones

Answer: (A)

Sutures are fibrous joints that tightly connect skull bones with dense connective tissue. In the adult, these joints are essentially immobile, forming a rigid skull that protects the brain. They also allow growth during early life—the fontanelles are areas where the sutures haven’t yet ossified, permitting the skull to expand as the brain grows. They’re not synovial joints, which have a joint cavity and cartilage surfaces, and they’re not cartilaginous connections like those between vertebrae. Some people might think of sutures as just flexible bands, but their proper description is as fibrous joints that bind skull bones together and limit movement after development.

Sutures are fibrous joints that tightly connect skull bones with dense connective tissue. In the adult, these joints are essentially immobile, forming a rigid skull that protects the brain. They also allow growth during early life—the fontanelles are areas where the sutures haven’t yet ossified, permitting the skull to expand as the brain grows. They’re not synovial joints, which have a joint cavity and cartilage surfaces, and they’re not cartilaginous connections like those between vertebrae. Some people might think of sutures as just flexible bands, but their proper description is as fibrous joints that bind skull bones together and limit movement after development.