A
skull fracture is a break in one or more of the eight bones that form the cranial portion of the
skull, usually occurring as a result of
blunt force trauma. If the force of the impact is excessive, the
bone may fracture at or near the site of the impact and cause damage to the underlying physical structures contained within the skull such as the
membranes,
blood vessels, and
brain, even in the absence of a fracture.