Skull Bone Injury Can Be Fatal

The bone structure that forms the head in the human skeleton is known as the skull bone. In general, the skull bones consist of 2 parts, namely the skull bones in the head (shell) and the skull bones in the face. The existence of this skull bones plays an important role in protecting the brain and supporting the formation of facial structures. Skull bone is composed of several parts of the bone, namely the upper and lower jaw bones, zigoma bones, forehead bones, parietal bones, temporal bones (temples), occipital bones (back of the head), sphenoid bones, and ethmoid bones. All of these skull bones are joined by a connective tissue like thick sutures. Usually, these seams don't blend together tightly until you are an adult. It is intended that your brain can continue to grow from childhood to adolescence.

Types of damage to the skull

Although the skull bones are designed very strongly, but still have the potential to be injured. Injury or trauma to the skull bones can usually cause cracks. Because the skull bone structure is very strong, it takes a hard impact to make it crack. Typically, skull bones are damaged when a motor vehicle accident or falls from a height. Another thing that can also be a cause of damage to the skull is a direct blow to the head. Here are some types of damage or fracture in the skull:

• Closed fracture

Closed fractures usually occur when a bone has cracked, but does not make the skin cover the bone torn or suffered an open wound.

• Open fracture

In contrast to closed fractures, this skull fracture condition is followed by damage to the skin at the place of the crack. This condition is known as an open fracture, because bone that is damaged is visible or arises from a tear in the skin.

• Skull base or cranii base fracture

This type of damage occurs at the base of the skull. This area includes the area of ​​the bone around the eyes, ears, nose, or back of the skull adjacent to the spine. This type of skull bone injury is often followed by a tear of the lining of the brain, and is one of the most fatal types of skull bone injuries.

• Depressed fracture (concave skull fracture)

Called depression fracture, because there are parts of bone fracture that are pushed into the brain cavity, forming a hollow.

Handling Damage to the Bones

In dealing with skull bone damage, determining the type of damage above is very crucial. In addition to the type of damage that occurs, the handling will also be determined based on how severe the damage is experienced and the post-damage situation. To anticipate complications, medical observations need to be made at the hospital for cases of skull fracture. The time needed to recover, can take months. It also depends on the age of the patient. The younger the age of someone who has bone damage, the faster the healing process of the skull bones. Other factors that also influence the recovery of skull bone injuries are the fracture of the skull, the extent of skull fracture, and whether there is brain injury or nerve damage to the brain after the injury to the skull. When a skull fracture is accompanied by an open wound on the skin, the wound needs to be cleaned first. This is to prevent infection of the injured skin. In addition, the doctor will give medication to relieve symptoms that appear, such as pain and nausea. Surgical procedures may also be needed if damage to the skull causes a displacement or rupture of bone, or if there is leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. Injury to the skull bones can of course have serious implications on the lives of sufferers. Therefore, do not forget to minimize the existing risk by protecting the head using a helmet when undergoing activities that have the potential to cause injury to the head.