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TEMPORAL BONE FRACTURES:
OSSICULAR INJURY
| Description | : | Ossicular Injury
While temporal bone fracture represents an extreme example of traumatic injury, trauma of a lesser degree may also damage the ossicular chain. The relative susceptibility of the three ossicles to fracture, displacement, or avulsion is related to the relative strength of their ligamentous and bony supporting structures. The malleus is the least likely to be injured since its handle is firmly held by the fibrous layer of the pars tensa, and its head is supported within the attic by the four malleolar ligaments. The footplate of the stapes is firmly anchored in the oval window by the annular ligament, and its head is supported posteriorly by the stapedial tendon. The most vulnerable ossicle is the incus, which is loosely suspended between the malleus and the stapes and anchored only by the posterior incudal ligaments. The most common traumatic ossicular injuries are a separation of the incudostapedial joint, and less frequently, a dislocation of the incus. |
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