The skull, a bony structure protecting the brain, is composed of cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles, and the hyoid bone. The two main components are the cranium (braincase) and the mandible (jawbone). Located at the front of the skeleton, the skull is a product of cephalization, accommodating the brain and sensory organs like eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. In humans, these sensory organs are integrated into the facial skeleton.
March 2013: First U.S. Partial Skull Replacement with 3D-Printed Implant
In March 2013, researchers in the U.S. achieved a milestone by replacing a significant portion of a patient's skull with a custom-designed, 3D-printed polymer implant. This marked the first time such a procedure was conducted in the United States.
2018: Discovery of Skull Channels for Immune Cell Transport
A 2018 study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers revealed a new understanding of immune response in the brain. The study suggests that immune cells reach areas of inflammation in the brain by traveling through "tiny channels" within the skull, connected to the bone marrow, rather than through the bloodstream.