Protuberantia occipitalis interna

The Protuberantia occipitalis interna is a part in the skull of the human body. It is assigned to the occiput. The internal occipital protuberance is a protruding bone.

What is the internal occipital protuberance?

The Protuberantia occipitalis interna is called internal occipital protrusion designated. It is a small part of the human bone structure. This is located in the human skull, which is known as the cranium. The protuberantia occipitalis interna is counted to the occiput. This is called the occipital bone.

The Protuberantia occipitalis interna is a protrusion of the bone. It is located on the side of the occiput that is directed into the skull. The Protuberantia occipitalis interna forms the center of the Eminentia cruciformis. When looking at the inside of the occiput, a cross-shaped structure becomes visible. Nerves and veins can pull through them. The Protuberantia occipitalis interna represents the center of the cruciform structure, which is also called relief.

The Protuberantia occipitalis interna is opposite the Protuberantia occipitalis externa. This is a protrusion of bone that faces outwards. When touching the skin on the back of the head, the external occipital protuberance can be felt. Planum occipitale and Planum nuchale. The Planum nuchale is measured during pregnancy and used to determine the sex of the unborn child.

Anatomy & structure

The Protuberantia occipitalis interna is of a bony shape. The structure of this protruding bone is analogous to that of the rest of human bone. This consists of 20% water. In addition, it contains 25% of organic components such as bone cartilage, bone cells. The remaining 55% of the bone is made up of inorganic bone components. This composition makes the bones of the human body highly resilient.

The internal occipital protuberance is oriented inwards into the skull. As part of the occiput, it is located at the level of the back of the head on the opposite side of the external occipital protuberance.

Inside the skull, the Protuberantia occipitalis interna borders on the Falx cerebri. The falx cerebri is a membrane. This is pushed by the dura mater between the upper sections of the cerebral hemispheres. The right and left hemispheres of the brain are known as hemispheres, which perform different tasks when processing stimuli from the individual sensory systems. The dura mater is a hard meninges that protects the brain and separates it from the skull.

Function & tasks

As a protrusion of the bone, the Protuberantia occipitalis interna has the task of stabilizing the surrounding structures of the skull. This includes the bone structures, but also the vessels that run along it. The occiput in particular belongs to the bone structures. This forms the entire back of the head in one piece and has small openings for veins and vessels.

The area of ​​the Protuberantia occipitalis interna is used as a possibility of astride for nerves or veins in the skull. The occipital emissary vein is one of them. Veins have a thin wall and are therefore particularly prone to tearing. The shape of the Protuberantia occipitalis interna is designed for this.

The Protuberantia occipitalis interna forms the center of the Eminentia cruciformis. This cruciform bone elevation is formed by the sulcus sinus sagittalis superioris and the sulcus sinus transversi. These are grooves in the vascular structure. The adjacent vessels include the superior sagittal sinus and the transverse sinus. Both are venous blood conductors that transport important messenger and nutrients to the brain.

Diseases

Since the internal occipital protuberance is located inside the skull and its other bones are in front of it, damage to this individual part of the bone is rather unlikely.

The internal occipital protuberance and the surrounding areas can be affected. For example, falls or accidents that cause damage to the occiput can also affect the internal occipital protuberance. A skull fracture can cause pain in the face and jaw area. You may experience bleeding, headaches, and leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.

A sensation of pain in the skull can indicate nerve damage. They can radiate into the neck and shoulder area. As a result, there are movement problems in this region. The neck muscles stiffen. Headache sets in and the scalp is sensitive. In particularly bad cases, combing the hair on the back of the head can cause pain. In addition, the neck can no longer bear the weight of the head without symptoms. The skull weighs around 1.5 to 2 kg and is mainly supported by muscles located in the back of the head and neck. The head can be tilted if the neck muscles no longer function properly.

In the area of ​​the skull it can lead to the formation of skull base tumors, but also to osteoporosis. With a tumor, there is pain in the surrounding areas. It usually has to be surgically removed. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become weak. This causes pain in the neck and scalp area. In severe cases, a physical reaction such as coughing can be associated with severe pain. In addition, osteoporosis can cause bone fractures if the head feels exposed to strong vibrations.