Internal vascular channel architecture in human auditory ossicles.
View / Open Files
Publication Date
2022-08Journal Title
J Anat
ISSN
0021-8782
Publisher
Wiley
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Manoharan, S. M., Gray, R., Hamilton, J., & Mason, M. J. (2022). Internal vascular channel architecture in human auditory ossicles.. J Anat https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13661
Abstract
The vascular supply of the human auditory ossicles has long been of anatomical and clinical interest. While the external blood supply has been well-described, there is only limited information available regarding the internal vascular architecture of the ossicles, and there has been little comparison of this between individuals. Based on high-resolution micro-CT scans, we made reconstructions of the internal vascular channels and cavities in 12 sets of ossicles from elderly donors. Despite considerable individual variation, a common basic pattern was identified. The presence of channels within the stapes footplate was confirmed. The long process of the incus and neck of the stapes showed signs of bony erosion in all specimens examined. More severe erosion was associated with interruption of some or all of the main internal vascular channels which normally pass down the incudal long process; internal excavation of the proximal process could interrupt vascular channels in ossicles which did not appear to be badly damaged from exterior inspection. An awareness of this possibility may be helpful for surgical procedures that compromise the mucosal blood supply. We also calculated ossicular densities, finding that the malleus tends to be denser than the incus. This is mainly due to a lower proportion of vascular channels and cavities within the malleus.
Embargo Lift Date
2023-03-31
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13661
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/335264
Statistics
Total file downloads (since January 2020). For more information on metrics see the
IRUS guide.