Incidence of False Sutural Bones in a Venezuelan Population

Abstract

False sutural bones are bony islands resulting from normal ossification centers that did not fuse with the main skull bones (frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, sphenoid), often described as unconnected ossification centers. Multicentric research was conducted in six private hospitals in Caracas, Venezuela, from January 2021 to December 2025. Three-dimensional reconstructed computed tomography images of the skull were used to investigate the presence, morphology, and variations of false sutural bones in a Venezuelan population. This research provides initial insights into the prevalence and morphology of false sutural bones in a Venezuelan population, based on an analysis of images of 1,000 subjects. Four false sutural bones were recorded, representing 0.4% of the individuals studied. These bones are rare anatomical variations, possibly related to abnormalities in endochondral ossification. But the knowledge of the potential presence of false sutural bones could be useful for making a differential diagnosis with cranial fractures.