PMC

(A) The malleus bar (arrows) between malleus neck and posterior bony canal. (B) The gap between the malleus neck and posterior bony wall after partial removal of the malleus bar using microcurett. Arrow indicates the stapes tendon.

Development of the malleus and incus from Meckel's cartilage in the mouse. (A, B) Alcian blue‐stained section of Meckel's cartilage at E13.5 (A) and E14.5 (B). (C) Expression of the joint marker, Gdf5 on a sagittal section at E15.5, showing expression in the joint region between the malleus and incus. (D, E) Alcian blue‐ and Alizarin red‐stained skeletal preparations of the caudal end of Meckel's cartilage, showing the connection to the malleus at P0 (D) and its separation at P3 (E). (F) Schematic representing the separation of the ossicles, between E13.5 and P3. At E13.5 (A, F), the malleus and incus are still fused to the caudal end of Meckel's cartilage. At E14.5 (B, C, F), the malleus and incus have separated (arrow), and the joint marker Gdf5 is expressed in the joint region between the malleus and incus at E15.5 (arrow). At P0 (D, F), Meckel's cartilage is still fused to the malleus (arrow). At P3 (E, F), the malleus has separated from Meckel's cartilage (arrow). I, incus; M, malleus; mk, Meckel's cartilage; S, stapes. (A–C taken from Amin & Tucker, , © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc; D–E taken from Anthwal et al. , © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy © 2012 Anatomical Society).

Intraoperative endoscopic view of the left middle ear demonstrating a fracture at the neck of the malleus (white arrow) before (A) and after (B) repair with hydroxyapatite (asterisk).

(A) malleus in posterior view; (B) malleus in medial view; (C) malleus in anterior view; (D) accessory ossicle in articulation with periotic in medial view; (E) accessory ossicle in lateral view; (F) accessory ossicle in ventral view; (G) accessory ossicle in medial view.