Asterion (anatomy)

Asterion (anatomy)
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Asterion (anatomy)

Side view of head, showing surface relations of bones. (Asterion visible at center right.)
Gray's	subject #46 183
Dorlands/Elsevier	a_67/12164991

In human anatomy, the asterion is a visible, so-called craniometric, point on the exposed skull, just behind the ear, where three cranial sutures meet: the lambdoid, parieto-mastoid, and occipito-mastoid sutures.

In the adult, it lies 4 cm behind and 12 mm above the center of the entrance to the ear canal.

Neurosurgeons use this point to orientate themselves, in order to plan safe entry into the skull for some operations.

Some surgeons call it the "Mercedes point", for its resemblance to the Mercedes-Benz logo.

External links

v • d • e Bones of head and neck: cranial sutures, fontanelles, and related regions

Cranial sutures	Cranial: frontoethmoidal – frontal or metopic (frontal/frontal) – coronal (frontal/parietal) – occipitomastoid (occipital/temporal) – lambdoid (parietal/temporal) – sagittal (parietal/parietal) – sphenoethmoidal – sphenofrontal – sphenoparietal – sphenosquamosal (sphenoid/temporal) – sphenopetrosal (sphenoid/temporal) – squamosal (temporal/parietal) – petrosquamous (temporal/temporal) Facial: palatomaxillary suture Cranial–facial: sphenozygomatic – zygomaticotemporal – zygomaticofrontal

Fontanelles	anterior – posterior – sphenoidal – mastoid

Foramina of multiple bones	inferior orbital fissure – foramen lacerum – jugular foramen – nasolacrimal canal

Fossae	anterior cranial fossa – middle cranial fossa – posterior cranial fossa – cranial cavity

Other compound structures	Cranial: asterion – pterion – calvaria – stephanion – bregma – lambda Facial: nasion Cranial–facial: dacryon – zygomatic arch – temporal fossa – infratemporal fossa – pterygomaxillary fissure – pterygopalatine fossa