ON THE RELATIVE POSTNATAL-GROWTH OF THE F LOOR REGIONS OF THE CRANIALFOSSAE

The relative postnatal growth of the bony floor parts was calculated f rom previous measurements and planimetrically determined on 21 adults and 13 skulls of children. As expected 1) the percentage rise in lengt h and breadth values was lower than that of the area values. 2) The gr eatest postnatal area rise (63%) was determined in the hypophyseal reg ion. 3) The growth of the individual skull areas terminates at a varia ble period after birth, e.g. a) between the foramen caecum and the tub erculum sellae in the 8th year of life; the planum sphenoidale, howeve r, grows after the 9th year of life by approx. 27%! b) In children of 8 years of age, the lateral length of the middle cranial fossa is abou t 98% of the adult value. c) Between the 6th year of life and adult ag e a length increase of 18.5% takes place (tuberculum sellae - dorsum s ellae). d) In 5-year old children the lateral length of the posterior cranial fossa is 97.5%, in 8-year-olds 99.9% of the adult value. e) Af ter the 8th year of life the breadth increase is e.g. 6.4% in the regi on of the anterior cranial fossa, 3.5% in the middle fossa, and 10% in the pituitary region.