Dimensions of Importance in Reconstructive Middle Ear Surgery

Abstract

A study of the space available for an ossicular prosthesis is presented. Twelve temporal bones without any signs of chronic ear disease were used. The measurements were made with the bone free from soft tissue mounted on a microscope cross-table. The different distances were registered through a stereo-microscope. The width between the facial nerve canal and the promontory was found to be 2.2 mm. The distance from the footplate to the tympanic sulcus plane was found to be 6.6 mm. The space available for the head of a prosthesis was also investigated.