The following is a list of the 'sutures' (areas where the skull bones approximate each other) which can prematurely close causing synostosis (premature fusion) and the deformity each causes.

1. Metopic synostosis: Trigonocephaly, pointed forehead.
2. Coronal synostosis: Plagiocephaly, flattened forehead.
2. Bicoronal synostosis: Brachycephaly, broad short head.
4. Saggital synostosis: Scaphocephaly, elongated head.
5. Llambdoid synostosis: flattening of back and side of head.

Surgery to correct these deformities is usually done at about 6 months of age by a combined Plastic Cranio-facial and Neurosurgical Team. Martin Rees is the Team Leader of the Cranio-facial Clinic which is run at the Manukau Super Clinic where he and Glen Bartlett (both Plastic Cranio-facial surgeons) and Andrew Law and Chris Furneaux (Neurosurgeons) assess children with cranio-synostoses and other congenital facial defects plus adults with traumatic, tumour and congenital problems. The transcranial surgery for children is done via Starship Children's Hospital in conjunction with the Neurosurgery Dept in the new Auckland City Hospital.
Adults are treated in Middlemore Hospital for subcranial surgery and Auckland City Hospital for transcranial surgery.