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Ear Workshop
Overview: You will use surgical microscopes to explore the labyrinth of tunnels in the temporal bone that form the ear. These dissections were prepared by otolaryngology residents and provide a unique opportunity to relate organs of the ear to neighboring structures. The most difficult part of this activity is getting oriented. This web activity will orient you so that your time in the temporal bone lab will be more productive. The images are sparsely labeled and should be used in conjunction with an atlas. Hopefully, this activity will make the atlas images more intelligible. Goals: Use an un-dissected skull to orient the dissected temporal bones and identify major landmarks. The workshop will have more detailed instructions to guide your more detailed exploration using a surgical microscope. Objectives: Draw a map that relates the middle ear to the cochlea, semicircular canals, mastoid air cells, auditory tube and the internal and external acoustic meatus. Relate the course of the audio-vestibular and facial nerve to the above mentioned structures. Relate the middle ear to the course of the venous sinuses, jugular bulb and carotid canal Initial Orientation -- X marks the spot! The calvarium was removed to view the inner structures of the skull. , green pipe cleaners were inserted into the internal and external acoustic meatus, and an orange pipe cleaner was inserted into the carotid canal and fashioned to replicate the course of the internal carotid artery. The carotid canal is a tunnel in the petrous part of the temporal bone. The roof of the medial portion of the canal is absent, which allows you to see the pipe cleaner. The roof is intact in the lateral portion of the canal. The yellow oval is the foramen ovale for CN V3.

http://www.anatomy.yalemedicine.org/webactivities/EarOrientation/EarOrientation.htm[10/17/2012 12:25:17 PM]

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The ear is formed by a series of tunnels that run through the petrous part of the temporal bone. They are arranged along two main tunnels that form an "X". The green rectangle represents the internal acoustic meatus (medially) and external acoustic meatus (laterally). The yellow rectangle represents the auditory tube (anteriomedially) and the entrance to the mastoid air cells (posteriolaterally) The intersection (blue) is the middle ear. It is separated from the outer ear by the ear drum, a thin membrane represented by the thin yellow line on the lateral side of the blue box. The middle ear is separated from the inner ear by a thin bone, represented by the thin yellow line on the medial side of the blue box. The middle ear is an amplifier that converts sound waves in air into pressure waves in the liquid-filled tunnels of the inner ear. The middle ear has an open communication with the nasopharynx via the auditory (Eustachian) tube. It also has an open connection with the mastoid air cells. The connection with the throat allows the air pressure on either side of the ear drum to be in equilibrium. The three-ring symbol and spiral represent two organs of the inner ear that are formed by tunnels in the petrous portion of the temporal bone Three-ring symbol: The vestibular apparatus includes three semicircular canals that are perpendicular to one another. They sense the position and motions of the head. Spiral: The auditory apparatus includes the cochlea, a conch shell-shaped tunnel that senses sound. The ossicles of the inner ear create pressure waves within this tunnel. The audio-vestibular (CN VIII) and facial (CN VII) nerves enter the internal acoustic meatus. The auditory nerve innervates the cochlea; the vestibular nerve innervates the semicircular canals and associated saccule and utricle. The course of the facial nerve is complicated -- consult a text.

http://www.anatomy.yalemedicine.org/webactivities/EarOrientation/EarOrientation.htm[10/17/2012 12:25:17 PM]

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The Dissections: Each of the following images includes a skull, a dissected temporal bone and an enlarged dissection. The enlarged dissection was color-enhanced to highlight certain structures. You may use the "View" menu of your browser to enlarge the images without losing resolution. Blue lines on the skull indicate the portion of temporal bone that was dissected. The skull and the dissection have the same orientation. In lab, place the skull and the temporal bone in the same orientation before looking in the microscope! Dissection 1: Carotid Artery as a landmark

The zygomatic arch, ocular orbit and lateral plate of the temporal bone were dissected away to expose the middle cranial fossa (and open the sphenoid sinus). The carotid artery was color enhanced in the right image. The inferior, vertical portion has not yet entered the carotid canal. The horizontal portion is within the temporal bone. (The roof of the petrous part of the temporal bone was dissected to expose more of the artery.) The superior, vertical portion begins in the foramen lacerum and enters the cavernous sinus. Dissection 2: Superior view of Cochlea and Semicircular canals

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The sigmoid sinus is indicated by a dashed line or blue highlighting. The blue oval indicates the opening of the internal meatus. The red highlighting indicates the cochlea (left of image) or a semicircular canal (right of image) The green highlighting that separates the red indicates the floor of the internal acoustic meatus. The green highlighting lateral to the cochlea is the path of the greater petrosal nerve.

Dissection 2A: Restore the roof of the cochlea and semicircular canals Blue: Sigmoid sinus Green: Internal acoustic meatus Yellow: Foramen ovale (for CN V3) Red: Branches of middle meningeal artery. The main trunk is emerging from the foramen spinosum On the inferior surface of the skull, the bony portion of the auditory tube of Eustachian meets the cartilaginous portion just medial to the foramen spinosum. Therefore, this foramen is a good landmark for the anteriomedial end of the "yellow" tunnel marked in the initial orientation image.

Dissection 3: Lateral views

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Dissection reveals the outer shell of two semicircular canals and middle ear ossicles

A deeper dissection reveals the wall of the sigmoid sinus and the interior of two semicircular canals. The anterior portion of the sinus becomes the jugular bulb, which forms the floor of the middle ear.

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Deeper still: Removing the external acoustic meatus reveals the ossicles of the middle ear and all three semicircular canals.

http://www.anatomy.yalemedicine.org/webactivities/EarOrientation/EarOrientation.htm[10/17/2012 12:25:17 PM]