Which term describes a cranial strain pattern we see as Superior Vertical Strain?

• A. Inferior Vertical Strain
• B. Superior Vertical Strain
• C. Left Lateral Strain
• D. Right Torsion

Answer: (B)

Vertical strains describe how the sphenoid and occiput move along a vertical axis relative to each other. In a Superior Vertical Strain, the sphenoid moves upward relative to the occiput, so the anterior part of the skull sits higher while the posterior base is comparatively lower. This creates a vertical separation with the sphenoid elevated and the occiput relatively lower, elongating the cranial vault in the vertical direction. The opposite pattern would be an inferior vertical strain, where the occiput rises relative to the sphenoid. Lateral strains involve side-to-side movement, and torsions are rotations about the SBS axis rather than pure vertical displacement. Therefore, the term describing this pattern is Superior Vertical Strain.