Cranial Suture Closure in Domestic Dog Breeds and Its Relationships to Skull Morphology

Abstract

Bulldog-type brachycephalic domestic dog breeds are characterized by a relatively short and broad skull with a dorsally rotated rostrum (airorhynchy). Not much is known about the association between a bulldog-type skull conformation and peculiar patterns of suture and synchondrosis closure in domestic dogs. In this study, we aim to explore breed-specific patterns of cranial suture and synchondrosis closure in relation to the prebasial angle (proxy for airorhynchy and thus bulldog-type skull conformation) in domestic dogs. For this purpose, we coded closure of 18 sutures and synchondroses in 26 wolves, that is, the wild ancestor of all domestic dogs, and 134 domestic dogs comprising 11 breeds. Comparisons of the relative amount of closing and closed sutures and synchondroses (closure scores) in adult individuals showed that bulldog-type breeds have significantly higher closure scores than non-bulldog-type breeds and that domestic dogs have significantly higher closure scores than the wolf. We further found that the prebasial angle is significantly positively correlated with the amount of closure of the basispheno-presphenoid synchondrosis and sutures of the nose (premaxillo-nasal and maxillo-nasal) and the palate (premaxillo-maxillary and interpalatine). Our results show that there is a correlation between patterns of suture and synchondrosis closure and skull shape in domestic dogs, although the causal relationships remain elusive. Anat Rec,

Facial changes related to brachycephaly in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with Chiari‐like malformation associated pain and secondary syringomyelia

“…However, this is a secondary change to microtrauma or associated with genetic predisposition and it would appear from the results of the study that it is the proximity of the palate to the cranium that is significant with CM‐P and SM‐S, not the structure itself. This relative position for both hard and soft palate with respect to increased airorhynchy supports the view that CM‐P and SM‐S involve early embryological changes in the pervasive osseous reduction associated with para‐axial mesodermal insufficiency associated with CMSM and craniosynostosis that have already shown to exist with human CM/SM . Crouzon syndrome, in particular, affects both the bones of the midface and cervical spine .…”

The Morphometrics and Typology of the Skull in the Ghanaian Local Dog of Non-Descript Breed (Canis lupus familiaris)

“…Cranial sutures and synchondroses are observed to be at varying stages of closure in the two groups, per suture closure scores as described in earlier studies (Rager et al, 2014;Geiger & Haussman, 2016). In Group 1, most fibrous sutures, including incisivo-maxillary, naso-frontal, maxillonasal, maxillo-palatine, pterygo-palatine, lacrimo-frontal, as well as the cartilaginous synchondroses including basispheno-presphenoid and basispheno-basioccipital are clearly visible, implying a "closing state", and the fibrous inter-nasal suture is "open" (Geiger & Haussman).…”

Persistent fontanelles in Chihuahuas and inter- and intra-rater reliability of fontanelle area measurement in computed tomography images

“…In brachycephalic dogs, and especially in cavalier King Charles spaniels, the cranial base spheno-occipital synchondrosis closes prematurely, restricting rostocaudal skull expansion [31]. As a sign of compensatory cranial growth due to premature cranial suture and synchondrosis closure in brachycephalic dogs, a higher proportion of closed or closing rostral cranial sutures or cranial base synchondroses was associated with dorsal deviation of the prebasial angle, also called airorynchy [32]. Furthermore, in Chihuahuas, a short skull base at the caudal cranial fossa causes overcrowding of the craniocervical junction.…”