Histological Characteristics of Ligaments between Middle Ear and Temporomandibular Joint.
OBJECTIVE
To examine histological aspects of the ligaments between the middle ear and temporomandibular joint and suppose a theoretical role of their structural characteristics on mobility of mallear ossicle.


METHODS
The ligaments were obtained by microdissection of middle cranial fossa on both sites of 15 cadavers fixed in formalin solution and were sectioned longitudinally (7-10 mum thickness). The sections were stained with Verhoff's Van Gieson's stain (VVG) for demonstration of elastic fibers and visualized at X2.5 and X10 magnifications under light microscopy.


RESULTS
Anterior mallear ligament (AML) and sphenomandibular ligaments (SML) were consisted of collagen fibres in analyzed specimens. The discomallear ligament (DML) was constituted of rich collagenous fibres. One specimen of DML harvested between petrotympanic fissure and retrodiscal-capsular intersection site contained elastic fibers dispersed in cotton-bowl appearance between collagen fibers. In the light of functional tests performed in previous studies, it could be extrapolated that presence of elastic fibers in the DML may prevent excessive forces conducted to mallear head by elongation of elastic fibers.


CONCLUSIONS
Collagenous fibres have no ability to stretch along their axis which may lack compensatory mechanism to prevent mallear head mobility.
Sencimen
Metin
M
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
Varol
Altan
A
Baykal
Baris
B
Altug
Hasan Ayberk
HA
Dogan
Necdet
N
Sahin
Sermet
S
Okcu
Kemal Murat
KM
Yalcin
Bulent
B