posterior cranial vault
The back portion of the skull encompassing the occipital and posterior parietal bones.
Full Definition
The posterior cranial vault refers to the posterior third of the skull that includes the occipital bone, posterior parietal bones, and the lambdoid sutures. This region is commonly affected in lambdoid craniosynostosis, which can cause posterior plagiocephaly or brachycephaly depending on whether one or both sutures are involved. Surgical correction of posterior cranial vault deformities often involves occipital cranial vault reconstruction or posterior vault expansion to normalize skull shape and accommodate brain growth. The procedure is technically challenging due to proximity to major venous sinuses and requires careful preoperative imaging and planning.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from posterior fossa, which refers to the intracranial space rather than the bone.
In Context
- "The posterior cranial vault reconstruction successfully corrected the lambdoid synostosis deformity." — operative report
- "Imaging revealed asymmetric growth of the posterior cranial vault consistent with unilateral lambdoid synostosis." — radiology interpretation