The Venous Sinuses of the Cerebral Dura Mater

The present study reviews the recorded descriptions of the interior of the superior sagittal sinus made by earlier investigators and adds observations made during anatomical dissection of 106 autopsy specimens. The rostral 5 to 7 cm of the interior of the sinus have relatively few openings of joining dural, falx, and cortical veins. The middle 12 to 14 cm of the sinus present a complex display of bands, bridges, cusps, and chords, often collectively referred to as chordae willisii. The openings of cortical veins in the lateral leafs of the sinus are usually guarded by these structures. These bafflelike mechanisms appear to protect the cerebral veins from the effects of sudden increased intrasinus pressures.