The Transmission of Masticatory Forces and Nasal Septum: Structural Comparison of the Human Skull and Gothic Cathedral

Abstract

This study extrapolates the transmission of masticatory forces to the cranium based on the architectural principles of Gothic cathedrals. The most significant finding of the study, obtained by analysis of coronal CT scans, is the role of the hard palate, and especially the vomer and the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid in masticatory force transmission. The study also confirms, experimentally, the paths of masticatory forces, cited in literature but based purely on morphological observations. Human skulls and Gothic cathedrals have similar morphological and functional characteristics. The load exerted by the roof of the cathedral is transmitted to the ground by piers and buttresses. These structures also resist the shearing forces exerted by high winds. Similarly, the mid-facial bones of the skull transmit the vertical as well as the lateral masticatory forces from the maxillary dentition to the skull base. The nonload bearing walls and stained glass windows of the cathedral correspond to the translucent wall of the maxilla. The passageway between the aisle and the nave of the cathedral is equivalent to the meatal openings in the lateral wall of the nasal cavity.

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Notes on contributors

Rumy Hilloowala

Dr. Rumy Hilloowala is a dental graduate of the University of Bombay, India, has completed a year of post graduate training in Oral Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and received his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology and Anatomy at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Hilloowala’s interests include research into craniofacial anatomy and the history of anatomy.

Hrishi Kanth

Dr. Hrishi Kanth received his undergraduate degree in engineering and a M.D. degree from the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. He completed residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics at St. Francis Medical Center affiliated with the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. He is currently in private practice in Columbia, Tennessee