title: The age-related positional and orientational changes of the human cochlea.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The cochleae of children over 6 years old and adults displaced more outward, backward, and downward in comparison with those of children under 6 years. However, the cochlear orientation does not significantly change during postnatal development. Adjacent structures correlated with the cochlear position.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test whether the cochlear position and orientation, which are important in cochlea implant surgery, change during postnatal development.
  
  
  METHODS
  CT images of both ears of 76 human subjects were studied. They were divided into three groups: group A (1-6 years old), group B (7-18 years old), and group C (>18 years old).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distances from the cochlea to the median sagittal and coronal planes in group A were smaller than those in group B and group C (p < 0.05), but the distance from it to the Frankfurt plane in group A was larger than that in group C (p < 0.05). The volume of the temporal bone pneumatization and the positions of the jugular bulb and the intrapetrous internal carotid artery positively correlated with the cochlear position (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the angles between the central axis of the cochlea and these coordinate planes among age groups.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Otolaryngology.
authors.forename: Hui-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.forename: Ke-Guang
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tian-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Pei-Dong
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003051:Cochlea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cochlear position; anatomical coordinate system; cochlear orientation; computed tomography; development; internal carotid artery; jugular bulb; temporal bone pneumatization