Occipital bone (Os occipitale)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
An unpaired bone forming the posterior skull and its base; the foramen magnum transmits the medulla oblongata, flanked by the occipital condyles that articulate with the atlas (C1) in the atlanto-occipital joint for nodding movements.
Clinical notes
Basilar skull fracture around the foramen magnum gives periorbital and retro-auricular bruising; raised intracranial pressure can herniate the cerebellar tonsils through it — a fatal emergency.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Occipital bone?
An unpaired bone forming the posterior skull and its base; the foramen magnum transmits the medulla oblongata, flanked by the occipital condyles that articulate with the atlas (C1) in the atlanto-occipital joint for nodding movements.
Why is the Occipital bone clinically important?
Basilar skull fracture around the foramen magnum gives periorbital and retro-auricular bruising; raised intracranial pressure can herniate the cerebellar tonsils through it — a fatal emergency.
Source & license
Derived from Z-Anatomy (Gauthier Kervyn et al.), CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/); upstream geometry from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science. license details