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Bone Head & Skull

Temporal Bone

os temporale

The temporal bone is a complex paired bone forming the lateral skull base, containing the middle and inner ear, the mastoid process, the styloid process, and the glenoid fossa of the TMJ. It articulates with the sphenoid, parietal, occipital, and zygomatic bones. The petrous portion houses the cochlea and vestibular apparatus.

Region: Head & Skull
Clinical Relevance

Clinical Notes

The temporal bone is involved in temporal bone fractures from lateral head trauma, classified as longitudinal (along the long axis, more common, associated with conductive hearing loss and facial nerve injury at the geniculate ganglion) or transverse (through the otic capsule, associated with sensorineural hearing loss and facial nerve injury at the labyrinthine segment). CT of the temporal bone is the imaging standard. High-resolution CT identifies cholesteatoma, ossicular chain disruption, and semicircular canal dehiscence.

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