Vol 67, No 2 (2008)
Original article
Published online: 2008-03-06
Topographical anatomy and measurements of selected parameters of the rat temporal bone
Folia Morphol 2008;67(2):111-119.
Abstract
On the basis of dissection of 24 bones of 12 black rats a systematic anatomical
description was made and measurements of selected size parameters of the temporal
bone were taken. Besides the main air space in the middle ear, the tympanic
bulla, there are also additional air cells, namely the anterior and posterior
epitympanic recesses, containing the head of the malleus and the body of the
incus. On the side of the epitympanic recesses the following are easily accessible:
the malleus head and the core of the incus, the superior and lateral semicircular
canals and the facial nerve. On the side of the ventral tympanic bulla it is
easy access to both windows and the cochlea. The semicircular canals are relatively
large, the lateral canal being the largest and the posterior the smallest. The
length of the spiral canal of the cochlea does not exceed 11 mm. It is worth
mentioning that both the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the scala vestibuli
and scala tympani do not even exceed 0.7 mm in the basal turn, and are significantly
decreased to tenths of a millimetre in further turns. This needs to be taken
into consideration during all experiments requiring the introduction of examining
instruments into the cochlear scala.
(Folia Morphol 2008; 67: 111–119)
(Folia Morphol 2008; 67: 111–119)
Keywords: temporal boneanatomymeasurementsrat