This lab guide focuses on the anatomy and dissection of the skull, face, and cranium, including the fetal skull, parotid gland, and facial nerve. Key objectives include identifying cranial bones, cranial nerves, and their relationships, as well as performing dissections to expose and examine these structures. The guide provides detailed instructions for dissections and examinations, emphasizing the importance of understanding the anatomical relationships within the skull and brain.
This lab guide focuses on the anatomy and dissection of the skull, face, and cranium, including the fetal skull, parotid gland, and facial nerve. Key objectives include identifying cranial bones, cranial nerves, and their relationships, as well as performing dissections to expose and examine these structures. The guide provides detailed instructions for dissections and examinations, emphasizing the importance of understanding the anatomical relationships within the skull and brain.
This lab guide focuses on the anatomy and dissection of the skull, face, and cranium, including the fetal skull, parotid gland, and facial nerve. Key objectives include identifying cranial bones, cranial nerves, and their relationships, as well as performing dissections to expose and examine these structures. The guide provides detailed instructions for dissections and examinations, emphasizing the importance of understanding the anatomical relationships within the skull and brain.
This lab guide focuses on the anatomy and dissection of the skull, face, and cranium, including the fetal skull, parotid gland, and facial nerve. Key objectives include identifying cranial bones, cranial nerves, and their relationships, as well as performing dissections to expose and examine these structures. The guide provides detailed instructions for dissections and examinations, emphasizing the importance of understanding the anatomical relationships within the skull and brain.
Lab Guide Skull, Face and Cranium Lab Guide Lab Summary In this lab the skull, fetal skull, parotid gland, facial nerve (VII) and brain removal with encountered structures are taught. This volume includes facial nerve (VII) dissection through the parotid gland. Emphasis is made of the cranial nerves encountered in order along skull base from olfactory (I) to hypoglossal (XII) in the course of brain removal.
Dissection List Skull, Disarticulated Skull, Fetal Skull, Parotid Gland and Facial Nerve, Brain Removal
Lab Objectives 1) Describe the bones of the cranial vault and sutures.
2) Relate the cranial nerves to their position in the skull base.
3) Describe the position of the anterior fontanelle.
4) Describe the location of the parotid gland, duct and branches of the facial nerve (VII).
5) Describe the relationship of the internal carotid artery and the optic nerve.
6) Be able to describe the position of the major dural folds.
7) Describe the positions of the cranial nerves at the base of the brain.
Use the following content as an additional guide alongside the Adult Skull video.
1.1) Skull Using a skull, identify the labeled features shown in the following images:
1.1a) Anterior skull
Examination of the Skull | Page 4
1.1b) Lateral skull
1.1c) Interior skull base
1.1d) Middle cranial fossa
Examination of the Skull | Page 5
1.1e) Exterior skull base
1.1f) Exterior skull (cont.)
1.1g) Orbit
Examination of the Skull | Page 6
2) Disarticulated Skull
Use the following content as an additional guide alongside the Disarticulated Skull video.
2.1) Expanded Skull
Review these images of a disarticulated skull.
2.1a) Anterior disarticulated skull
Disarticulated Skull | Page 7
2.1b) Lateral disarticulated skull
2.1c) Lateral disarticulated skull (cont.)
2.1d) Posterior disarticulated skull
Disarticulated Skull | Page 8
2.1e) Temporal bone
2.1f) Sphenoid bone
2.1g) Ethmoid bone
Disarticulated Skull | Page 9
2.1h) Posterior skull base
2.1i) Sphnoid bone (cont.)
2.1j) Facial bones
Disarticulated Skull | Page 10
3) Fetal Skull
Use the following content as an additional guide alongside the Fetal Skull video.
3.1) Fetal Skull
Review these images of a fetal skull. Note anterior fontanelle and choanae.
3.1a) Anterior fetal skull
Fetal Skull | Page 11
3.1b) Inferolateral fetal skull
3.1c) Posterior fetal skull
3.1d) Anterior skull base
Fetal Skull | Page 12
4) Parotid Gland and Facial Nerve
Use the following content as an additional guide alongside the Parotid Gland and Facial Nerve video.
4.1) Facial Nerve and Parotid
Make an incision from the mastoid process along the jawline to the nasolabial fold.
4.1a) Lateral face
Parotid Gland and Facial Nerve | Page 13
Continue the incision superiorly lateral to the mouth, nose and orbit to the brow. Incise from the brow to one cm above the external ear.
4.1b) Lateral face incisions
Reflect the flap posteriorly.
Make this flap superficial to avoid facial muscles.
Identify the margins of the
parotid gland. Locate the parotid duct extending anteriorly superficial to the masseter muscle.
4.1c) Parotid gland
Locate the temporal,
zygomatic, buccal, mandibular and cervical branches of the facial nerve.
4.1d) Facial nerve
Parotid Gland and Facial Nerve | Page 14
4.2) Facial Nerve Along the anterior margin of the parotid, follow the plane of the parotid duct into the parotid gland. This plane divides the gland into superficial and deep lobes. The branches of facial nerve (VII) lie in this plane. This dissection is technically difficult.
Try to identify the trunk of the
nerve near the stylomastoid 4.2a) Facial nerve foramen and follow the temporofacial and cervicofacial divisions.
The main branches of the facial nerve are temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular and cervical.
Anterior to the facial nerve,
identify the retromandibular vein and the external carotid artery.
4.2b) Lateral face vasculature
Parotid Gland and Facial Nerve | Page 15
5) Remove Brain
Use the following content as an additional guide alongside the Remove Brain video.
5.1) Calvarial Vault Removal
Reflect the scalp using a bicoronal incision across the top of head from ear to ear. You may need to make anterior and posterior midline incisions to reflect the scalp to the orbital rim and occiput.
Using an oscillating saw,
make a circumferential cut (Figure 5.1a) through the skull from just superior to 5.1a) Circumferential bone cut the orbits to the external occipital protuberance. The temporalis muscle may be sharply incised at the level planned for the bone cuts or cut through this muscle with the oscillating saw. Remove Brain | Page 16 If not previously performed with spine dissection, make lateral occipital bone cuts that extend to the foramen magnum after sharply dissecting occipital and cervical musculature away from the occipital bone (5.1b).
5.1b) Occipital bone cuts
5.1c) Orbitofrontal bone cuts
Elevate the skull cap to
expose the brain and dura mater. Dissect the dura free from the skull where possible.
5.1d) Orbital rim bone cuts
Remove Brain | Page 17
Make vertical cuts at the lateral and medial borders of the orbit to separate the superior orbital rim (5.1c-e). Elevate the orbital rim and orbital roof to expose the contents of the orbit. This orbitofrontal craniotomy may be carried out at this point or following brain removal when examining the skull base and orbit. 5.1e) Orbital rim removal
5.2) Base of Brain
In the following steps, gradually expose the base of the brain and skull to examine cranial nerves and vasculature.
Begin by gently elevating
the frontal lobes to expose anterior structures.
5.2a) Base of brain
5.2b) Anterior base of brain
Remove Brain | Page 18 Locate the following structures:
• Olfactory bulbs
• Optic nerves (II)
• Optic chiasm
• Carotid arteries
• Tips of temporal lobes
Extra illumination will be
helpful. 5.2c) Anterior base
5.2) Parasellar Region
Continue gentle retraction of the frontal lobes for further exposure of the base of brain. Sharply divide the optic nerves and internal carotid arteries to examine more posterior structures.
5.3a) Chaismatic region
Identify the:
• Sella turcica
• Infundibulum
• Oculomotor nerves (III)
5.3b) Oculomotor nerve
Remove Brain | Page 19 5.4) Pons and Midbrain Continue to expose the ventral surface of the brain and interior of the skull base.
5.4a) Base with pons
Identify the basilar artery
on the ventral surface of the pons and midbrain.
Locate the superior
cerebellar and posterior cerebral arteries. Locate the oculomotor nerve between these two arteries.
Reidentify the optic nerves
and chiasm and the internal carotid arteries. 5.4b) Anterior midbrain
Remove Brain | Page 20
5.5) Tentorium Divide the tentorium along the petrous (temporal) ridge to prepare to expose and free the cerebellum and brainstem. Also, divide the tentorium posteriorly with the donor prone or lateral.
5.5a) Tentorium
5.5b) Midbrain
5.5c) Posterior brain and spinal cord with course of vertebral artery Remove Brain | Page 21 5.6) Pons and Medulla With the tentorium reflected identify the:
• Trochlear (IV)
• Trigeminal (V)
• Abducens (VI)
• Facial (VII)
• Auditory (VIII)
• Glossopharyngeal (IX)
• Vagus (X) 5.6a) Anterior brainstem
• Accessory (XI)
• Hypoglossal (XII)
The trochlear nerve will be
difficult to see with this view.
5.6b) Trigeminal nerve
Locate the formation of the
basilar artery from the union of the right and left vertebral arteries.
5.6c) VI, VII, and VIII
Remove Brain | Page 22 5.6d) IX, X, XI, and XII
5.7) Posterior Brain and Spinal Cord
To remove the brain and spinal cord as a unit, first divide the remaining intact cranial nerves and vertebral arteries. With the donor lateral, elevate the brain from the skull base along with the spinal cord from the spinal canal.
The spinal cord or spinal
cord with surrounding dura should be elevated. 5.7a) Posterior brain and spinal cord Depending on which of these approaches is chosen, nerve roots will need to be cut intra or extra-durally.
Set the brain and spinal cord aside for further examination.
Remove Brain | Page 23
5.8) Interior Skull Base On the interior of the base of the skull, locate the anterior, middle and posterior cranial fossae.
