Lectures 25 & 26 Ear Flashcards
Functions of ear?
Hearing, balance
Location of ear
temporal bone (apart from cartilagenous auditory tube)
Components of the ear
- External ear
- Middle ear (tympanic cavity)
- Inner ear - cochlea, vestibule, semicircular canals
External ear function?
Collection of mechanical sound vibrations
Middle ear (tympanic cavity) function?
Transmission, amplification
Inner ear function?
Sensation
Describe external acoustic meatus
- 24mm long
- lateral 1/3 cartilagenous, medial 2/3 bony
- Ceruminous glands (wax, modified sweat glands), hair in cartilagenous part only
- Medial & slightly slanted anteriorly
Describe the tympanic membrane
- elliptical, lateral surface concave
- Skin externally, mucosa internally
- a thickened edge, the tympanic ring fits into tympanic groove in temporal bone
- handle of malleus attached to inner surface
- Pars flacida above handle of malleus, pars tensa below
- bottom of handle of malleus is umbo-point maximum convexity if viewed from middle ear.
Anatomy of the external ear
- Superior crus
- Helix
- Inferior crus
- Concha
- Tragus
- Antihelix
- Antitragus
- Lobule
Relations of the middle ear/tympanic cavity
- Lateral wall
- Anterior (carotid) wall
- Posterior wall
- Roof
- Floor
- Medial wall
Describe anterior (Carotid) wall
Opening of auditory tube. Tensor tympani runs in a canal above auditory tube & bends to run along medial wall.
Facial nerve branches to form chorda tympani behind anterior wall
False, posterior wall
Facial nerve turns superiorly at aditus
False, it turns inferiorly.
Posterior wall has an opening called the ‘aditus’ into the mastoid antrum and from there into the interconnecting air filled cavities of the mastoid air cells.
True
Tegmun tympani is the thin bone separating middle ear from middle cranial fossa
True
Tegmun tympani is medial to arcuate eminence when viewed from the inside of the skull.
False, it is lateral to arcuate eminence
The cavity of the middle ear immediately beneath tegmun tympani is the epitympanic recess
True
On the floor of the middle ear, the thin bone covering jugular fossa/foramen - middle ear infection can be transmitted to external jugular leading to spread of infection & possible clotting of jugular blood.
False, it is the internal jugular
Medial wall is adjacent to the inner ear - bony except for oval window which is closed by base of stapes & for round window to oval window.
True
Other features of medial wall include?
- promontory inferomedially which overlies cochlea
- Elevation which represents the canal for facial nerve
- Round & oval windows
- Tensor tympani
- elevation overlying lateral semicircular canal
- Tympanic plexus - tympanic branch of glossopharyngeal & sympathetic from internal carotid plexus
Where does chorda tympani leave the facial nerve?
5mm above stylomastoid foramen
Chorda tympani arches upwards across ________ wall of middle ear, passes between ___________ & ______, across upper part of tympanic membrane, then into bone again & down to petrotympanic fissure.
Posterior, long crus of incus, handle of malleus
Outside the skull, chorda tympani passes down ________ surface of spine of sphenoid & then between ________ & _______.
Medial, deep surface of lateral pterygoid, inferior alveolar nerve
Chorda tympani joins lingual nerve at an acute angle usually deep to medial pterygoid
False, lateral pterygoid
How are ossicles connected ?
They’re connected by synovial joints.
Ossicles are also attached to the wall of the middle ear by ligaments
True
What are ossicles covered by?
Mucosa
Describe the malleus
- head in the epitympanic recess (superior), handle attached to tympanic membrane (& crossed by chorda tympani)
- lateral & anterior processes (for ligaments)
Describe the incus
- body articulates with the head of malleus
- Long crus articulates with head of stapes
- Short crus posteriorly (ligamentous attachment)
Describe the stapes
- base (foot of stirrup) attaches to oval window