The bony labyrinth is a set of interconnected cavities carved in the dense otic capsule bone of the petrous temporal bone. It comprises the vestibule, the three bony semicircular canals and the cochlea. It is filled with perilymph and houses the membranous labyrinth.
| Location | Petrous part of the temporal bone |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) entering via the internal acoustic meatus |
| Blood Supply | Labyrinthine artery; Stylomastoid artery |
Encloses and protects the membranous labyrinth and holds the perilymph through which sound waves travel.
The otic capsule is among the hardest bone in the body and reaches adult size before birth. Fractures through it carry a high risk of deafness and cerebrospinal fluid leak. Thinning of bone over the superior canal (superior canal dehiscence) creates a third window, causing sound- or pressure-induced vertigo and hearing one's own body sounds loudly.
A gap in the bone over the superior canal causing dizziness with loud sounds or straining, and hearing internal sounds such as eye movements.
New bone filling the labyrinth after meningitis, which can make cochlear implantation difficult if not done early.
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