title: [Three-dimensional morphological measurements of the utricle, saccule and stapes footplate].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the optimal drill area on the footplate with the 3D measurements of the stapes and the vestibular end organs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four temporal bones were extracted from the fresh cadavers and undecalcified polymer-embedded. After serially sectioning, image processing and the 3D precisely reconstruction, a local Cartesian coordinates was established in which the tympanic surface of the footplate was supposed to be XY plane and the Z coordinate axis passed through the central point of the footplate and was vertical to the XY plane. The configurations of the utricle and saccule were delineated quantitatively, and then any distance between one point on the surface of the footplate and another point on the surface of the utricle or saccule and its orientation can be measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a "V" shaped cleft between the utricle and the saccule. The angle of the" V" shaped cleft was 50.31 +/- 19.90 (17.00 - 68.00) degrees. The apex of the cleft directed anterosuperiorly and approached the footplate center, while beneath the posteroinferior part of the footplate was an open and deep area. The vertical distance from the center point of the footplate to the vestibular end organs was (2.20 +/- 0.548) mm, the maximum of 3.0 mm and the minimum of 1.6 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The posterior and inferior quadrant of the footplate may be the optimal drill area for the fenestra.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Tian-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Pei-Dong
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: You-Zhou
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Zheng-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ke-Qiang
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013199:Stapes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology