Synchondroses

A synchondrosis is a type of cartilaginous joint where bones are joined by hyaline cartilage. These joints are typically found in the developing skeleton and play a crucial role in the growth and development of bones. Synchondroses are temporary and usually ossify and fuse over time, becoming synostoses.

Such joints are found between the epiphyses and bodies of long bones, between the occipital and the sphenoid at, and for some years after, birth, and between the petrous portion of the temporal and the jugular process of the occipital.

In the cranial base, synchondroses such as the spheno-occipital and intersphenoid synchondroses are important growth centers that contribute to the elongation and overall growth of the craniofacial skeleton.