The postnatal growth of the temporal bone and its implications for cochlear implantation in children

Abstract

The postnatal growth of the human temporal bone was examined by direct anatomical measurements on 60 cadaver specimens of all ages. The bones were dissected as one would perform cochlear implant surgery using a posterior tympanotomy approach. Nineteen anatomical/surgical landmarks with implications for cochlear implant surgery were identified on each bone and the distance between these points measured. The temporal bone was found to be a complex structure, phylogenetically, anatomically and functionally consisting of four different parts with independent postnatal development. The inner and middle ears were adult size at birth. The external auditory canal and most parts of the temporal bone ..