title: Home temporal bone dissection: anatomic approaches to ear surgery.
abstract: The anatomy of the temporal bone can only be mastered by repeated surgical and anatomic dissections. For the otolaryngologist who does not have access to laboratory facilities, a technique for dissecting temporal bones at home using readily available and inexpensive equipment is described. The basic home dissecting kit consists of dry temporal bones, a high-speed hobby drill, dental burrs, loupes, and paints. The preparation of temporal bones for dissection and approaches to anatomic, transmastoid, transcanal, and neuro-otologic dissections are presented. The relative benefits of home dissection in learning temporal bone anatomy and developing new surgical approaches, such as a transcanal-transcochlear approach to the internal auditory canal, are discussed.
mesh_terms: D004210:Dissection / Q000379:methods; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery