Ear anatomy

Ruweyda Abdirahman Ahmed

M1210036
• The ear consists of the external ear, middle ear (tympanic cavity) and
the internal ear(labyrinth) which contains the organs of hearing and
balance.
External ear
• The external ear has an auricle and external auditory meatus.
• The skeleton of the auricle is formed of elastic cartilage covered by
skin.
• The auricle is formed of 5 parts: Helix, antihelix(terminates as
antitragus), concha, tragus, lobule.
NB
Nerve and blood supply of the auricle
• According to the Nerve supply the auricle is divided into inner
(medial) surface and outer(lateral) surface.
• The inner surface supplied by: auricotemporal nerve, Facial nerve,
auricular branch of vagus and greater auricular nerve.
• The outer surface supplied by: lesser occipital and greater auricular
nerves.
• According to the blood supply the auricle is supplied by: anterior
auricular(branch from superficial temporal artery ),posterior
auricular and occipital arteries(branches from external carotid artery)
 External auditory meatus
• The external auditory meatus (ear canal) is tube-like curved structure Formed
of two parts:
1. Cartilaginous part: is the outer third and contains hair follicles and glands
that secrete wax for cleaning of the ear.
2. Bony part: is the inner two thirds formed by the tympanic plate.
• Nerve supply: by auricotemporal nerve and the auricular branch of vagus
nerve.
Blood supply: by anterior auricular artery (superficial temporal), posterior
auricular artery( external carotid artery) and deep auricular artery( maxillary).
Lymphatic drainage: by superficial parotid, mastoid and superficial cervical
lymph nodes
Tympanic membrane (Eardrum)
• Tympanic membrane: is a thin translucent membrane that
separates the external ear from the middle ear
• Tympanic membrane contains three layers:
1. Outer cutaneous layer: composed of the skin of the external
ear
2. Middle fibrous layer: this layer is made up of connective
tissue arranged radially , giving the membrane it’s strength.
3. Inner mucosal layer: lined with the mucous membrane of
the middle ear.
Tympanic membrane
• Tympanic membrane is divided into two parts:
1. Pars tensa: is the larger part and contains dense fibrous tissue.
2. Pars flaccida : is the smaller part and it doesn’t have fibrous tissue or
very small amount. It contains loose areolar tissue.
• The two parts are separated by anterior and posterior malleolar folds.
• Umbo: is a depression in the center of tympanic membrane produced
by the attachment of the handle of malleus.
• Cone of light: is in the anteroinferior quadrant. It reflects light from the
doctor’s mirror.
Nerve and blood supply of tympanic
membrane
• Nerve supply
1. Outer surface: by auricotemporal nerve and the auricular branch of
vagus.
2. Inner surface: by the tympanic branch of glossopharyngeal nerve.
• Blood supply : by the first part of maxillary artery.
1. Outer surface: Supplied by deep auricular artery.
2. Inner surface: supplied by anterior tympanic artery.
Middle ear (tympanic cavity)
• Middle ear is a small air-filled space located behind the eardrum in
the petrous part of temporal bone.
• The middle ear has a roof, floor, lateral wall, medial wall, anterior
wall and posterior wall.
• The roof is formed by a thin plate of bone, the tegmen tympani,
which is a part of petrous temporal bone.
• The floor is formed by a thin plate of bone which may be partly
replaced by fibrous tissue. It separates the middle ear from the
superior bulb of internal jugular vein.
• The lateral wall is formed by tympanic membrane.
• The medial wall is formed by the lateral wall of the inner ear. It shows
the promontory of the cochlea, the oval window(formed by the foot of
stapes),the round window(Closed by secondary tympanic membrane)
and the horizontal part of facial canal( facial nerve).
• The anterior wall contains three openings: the opening for the tendon of
tensor tympani muscle, the opening of eustachian tube and the exit
chorda tympani nerve.
• The posterior wall contains three openings: the opening for the tendon
of stapedius muscle, the opening of mastoid antrum and the entrance
of chorda tympani and the vertical part of facial nerve.
Contents of the middle ear
• The middle ear contains air coming from nasopharynx through
eustachian tube.
• The middle contains:
1. Three ossicles: malleus, incus and shapes.
2. Two muscles: tensor tympani and stapedius.
3. Two nerves: chorda tympani and tympanic plexus.
• Tympanic plexus is formed by: Tympanic branch of glossopharyngeal,
corticotympanic nerve ( from the sympathetic around internal carotid
artery) and may be communicating branch from facial nerve.
Muscles of middle ear
1. Tensor tympani (supplied by mandibular nerve)
• Origin: cartilage of auditory tube.
• Insertion: into malleus.
• Action: decrease the vibration of malleus in response to loud noise.
2. Stapedius (supplied by Facial nerve).
• Origin: pyramid (bony projection on the posterior wall of middle ear.
• Insertion: into neck of stapes.
• Action: decrease the vibration of stapes in response to loud noise.
Eustachian tube
• Connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx
• It divided into two parts:
1. Cartilaginous part: the anterior two thirds.
2. Bony part: the posterior one third.
• The length is about 4cm.
• Nerve supply: Tympanic branch of glossopharyngeal.
• Function: ventilation of the middle ear.
. Equalizes air pressure on each side of tympanic membrane.
Inner ear (labyrinth)
• The labyrinth is situated in the petrous part of temporal bone, medial
to the middle ear.
• It consists of the bony labyrinth and the membranous labyrinth.
• The bony labyrinth comprises a series of cavities within the bone and
the membranous labyrinth comprises a series of membranous sacs
and ducts contained within the bony labyrinth.
Bony labyrinth
• The bony labyrinth is filled with perilymph( fluid that surrounds the
membranous labyrinth providing support and protection to the
delicate within).
• The bony labyrinth is formed of three parts: cochlea, vestibule and
semicircular canals (Superior, posterior and lateral).
Membranous labyrinth
• The membranous labyrinth is filled with endolymph (Potassium rich
fluid which is crucial for the function of the sensory organs
responsible for hearing and balance).
• The membranous labyrinth is formed of three parts:
1. Cochlear duct : contains organ of corti (receptor for hearing).
2. Utricle & saccule: in the vestibule and contain Macula.
3. Semicircular ducts: in the semicircular canals and contain crista
ampullaris.
• Macula and crista ampullaris are receptors for balance.
Clinical notes
• Otitis media: is an inflammation of the middle ear. It’s mainly caused
bacterial or viral infections that travel from the nasopharynx through the
auditory tube.
• Complications of otitis media:
1. Rupture of tympanic membrane may lead to deafness.
2. Extension to the mastoid process causing mastoiditis.
3. Extension to the inner ear causing labyrinthine
4. Extension to the cranial cavity causing meningitis, brain abscess or
thrombosis of sigmoid sinuses.
5. Extension to the facial nerve causing facial paralysis.