The ligaments of malleus are three
ligament
A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the:
* Peritoneal li ...
s that attach the
malleus
The malleus, or hammer, is a hammer-shaped small bone or ossicle of the middle ear. It connects with the incus, and is attached to the inner surface of the eardrum. The word is Latin for 'hammer' or 'mallet'. It transmits the sound vibrations fro ...
in the
middle ear
The middle ear is the portion of the ear medial to the eardrum, and distal to the oval window of the cochlea (of the inner ear).
The mammalian middle ear contains three ossicles, which transfer the vibrations of the eardrum into waves in the ...
. They are the anterior, lateral and superior ligaments.
The anterior ligament of the malleus also known as Casserio's ligament
is a fibrous band that extends from the
neck
The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...
of the malleus just above its anterior process to the anterior wall of the
tympanic cavity
The tympanic cavity is a small cavity surrounding the bones of the middle ear. Within it sit the ossicles, three small bones that transmit vibrations used in the detection of sound.
Structure
On its lateral surface, it abuts the external auditory ...
close to the
petrotympanic fissure
The petrotympanic fissure (also known as the squamotympanic fissure or the glaserian fissure) is a fissure in the temporal bone that runs from the temporomandibular joint to the tympanic cavity.
The mandibular fossa is bounded, in front, by the a ...
. Some of the fibers also pass through the fissure to the
spine of sphenoid bone
The sphenoidal spine (Latin: "''spina angularis''") is a downwardly directed process at the apex of the great wings of the sphenoid bone that serves as the origin of the sphenomandibular ligament.
Additional images
File:Spine of sphenoid bone.p ...
.
The lateral ligament of the malleus is a triangular fibrous band that crosses from the posterior aspect of the
tympanic notch to the head or
neck
The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...
of the malleus.
The superior ligament of the malleus is a delicate fibrous strand that crosses from the roof of the
tympanic cavity
The tympanic cavity is a small cavity surrounding the bones of the middle ear. Within it sit the ossicles, three small bones that transmit vibrations used in the detection of sound.
Structure
On its lateral surface, it abuts the external auditory ...
to the head of the malleus.
Additional Images
File:Slide1ghe.JPG, Auditory ossicles. Tympanic cavity. Deep dissection.
References
Ear
Human head and neck
Ligaments
{{ligament-stub