The bony structures that make up the head of the human skeleton are known as the skull bones. In general, the skull consists of 2 parts, namely the skull (cranium) and the face. The presence of this skull bone plays an important role in protecting the brain and supporting the formation of facial structures.
The skull is composed of several bone parts, namely the upper and lower jaw bones, zygoma bone, forehead bone, parietal bone, temporal bone (temple), occipital bone (back of the head), sphenoid bone, and ethmoid bone. All these parts of the skull are held together by a connective tissue like thick sutures. Usually, these stitches don't fit tightly together until you're an adult. This is so that your brain can continue to grow from childhood to adolescence.
Types of Damage to the Skeleton
Although the skull is designed to be very strong, it still has the potential to be injured. Injury or trauma to the skull bone can usually cause a fracture. Because the structure of the skull bone is very strong, it takes a hard impact to be able to crack it.
Usually, the skull is damaged when you are in a motor vehicle accident or fall from a height. Another thing that can also be the cause of skull bone damage is a direct blow to the head.
Here are some types of damage or fractures (fractures) of the skull:
- Closed fractureClosed fractures usually occur when the bone is fractured, but does not tear the skin covering the bone or experience an open wound.
- FractureopenIn contrast to closed fractures, these skull fractures are accompanied by a breakdown of the skin at the site of the fracture. This condition is known as an open fracture, because the bone is exposed to visible damage or emerges from a tear in the skin.
- skull base fracture or cranium baseThis type of damage occurs at the base of the skull. This area includes the bony areas around the eyes, ears, nose, or the back of the skull that is adjacent to the spine. This type of skull injury is often followed by a tear of the membranes of the brain, and is one of the most fatal types of skull injury.
- Depression fracture (concave skull fracture)It is called a depression fracture, because the fractured part of the bone is pushed into the brain cavity, forming a depression.
Treatment of Damage to the Skull Bone
In dealing with skull bone damage, determining the type of damage above is very crucial. In addition to the type of damage that occurred, the treatment will also be determined based on how severe the damage was and the post-damage conditions. To anticipate complications, it is necessary to carry out medical observation at the hospital in cases of skull fractures.
The time needed to recover, can be months. It also depends on the age of the patient. The younger the age of a person who has bone damage, the faster the healing process of the skull bone.
Other factors that also influence the recovery of skull fractures are the part of the skull that was broken, the extent of the skull fracture, and whether there was brain injury or brain nerve damage after the skull fracture.
When a skull fracture is accompanied by an open wound on the skin, the wound needs to be cleaned first. This is to prevent infection of the injured skin. In addition, the doctor will give medication to relieve symptoms that appear, such as pain and nausea.
A surgical procedure may also be needed if damage to the skull bone causes a portion of the bone to displace or break, or if there is leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.
Injury to the skull, of course, can have serious implications for the life of the sufferer. Therefore, don't forget to minimize the risks by protecting your head using a helmet when carrying out activities that have the potential to cause head injury.
