Craniofacial growth under the influence of blood supply. 9. Skull and mandibular growth after carotid ligation

Unilateral ligature of the common carotid artery leads to a reduction in the size of the zygomatic arch complex in rats aged 8 and 12 months. Skull growth is accelerated during the 4th and 12th month in operated animals, so that these animals have large skulls than the controls at maturity. Comparison with the literature suggests that this is a result of over-compensation of the blood supply after the ligature. Increased availability of arterial blood also leads to greater axial growth of tubular bones. The lack of skull growth during the 8th month is discussed. The biomathematical methods of analysis used for these studies are of only limited validity for the observation of skull growth.