Here is an easy, high-yield mnemonic system to remember the fusion of skull sutures and closure of fontanelles — designed specifically for forensic age estimation (your exam focus).
⭐ 1. Fontanelles (Think: “PAAM” → Posterior, Anterior, A = After months, M = Much later)
Posterior Fontanelle → 6–8 weeks
👉 Mnemonic: P is “Petite” → closes Promptly (≈2 months)
Anterior Fontanelle → 1.5–2 years
👉 Mnemonic: A is “Adult-like” → closes After years
So:
-
Posterior = Prompt (2 months)
-
Anterior = After (2 years)
⭐ 2. Metopic Suture → 9 months
👉 Mnemonic:
Think of “M” for Metopic = 9, because M looks like an upside-down 9.
⭐ 3. Basiocciput–Basisphenoid Fusion → 18–21 years
👉 Mnemonic:
Think of it as the “Base” of skull → Base age of adulthood (18–21 yr)
This coincides with epiphyseal fusion ages → easy to tie with “legal adulthood.”
⭐ 4. Sagittal Suture (Posterior → Anterior → Middle)
Remember using the phrase:
“SAGI gets Older as you go Forward”
-
Posterior 1/3 → 30–40 yrs
-
Anterior 1/3 → 40–50 yrs
-
Middle 1/3 → 50–60 yrs
👉 Mnemonic:
P-A-M → 30-40, 40-50, 50-60
(Just remember Sagittal = “PAM 30-40-50-60”)
⭐ 5. Coronal Suture (Lower → Upper)
Think of a crown (corona) sitting lower then higher:
-
Lower half → 40–50 yrs
-
Upper half → 50–60 yrs
👉 Mnemonic:
“Crown rises with age.”
Lower = earlier, Upper = later.
⭐ 6. Lambdoid → 45 years
👉 Mnemonic:
“Lamb → 45”
Imagine “a lamb runs 45 km/hr.”
⭐ 7. Squamous Temporal → >80 years
👉 Mnemonic:
“Squamous = Super Senior”
Elderly skull: last suture to fuse.
🎯 Ultra-Condensed Exam Memory Set
Use this single line to recall everything:
“Posterior Prompt (2m), Anterior After (2y), Metopic = 9m, Base = Adult (18–21), SAGI PAM 30→60, Coronal crown rises 40→60, Lamb 45, Squamous Super Senior >80.”
If you want, I can turn this into:
✔ a story mnemonic
✔ a visual diagram
✔ a memory palace
✔ or short MCQ-style drills (like Duolingo mode)
Just tell me!
Comments
Post a Comment