title: Anatomy of the Eustachian Tube.
abstract: The eustachian tube consists of 2 compartments: the Rüdinger's safety canal and the auxiliary gap. It is surrounded by a cartilaginous wall on the craniomedial side and a membranous wall on the inferolateral side. The eustachian tube cartilage is firmly attached to the skull base by the lateral and the medial suspensory ligaments, which are separated by the medial Ostmann fat pad. The function of the isometric tensor veli palatini muscle is modulated by hypomochlia, which have an influence on the muscular force vectors.
authors.affiliation: ENT-department, HELIOS Hospital Krefeld, Lutherplatz 40, Krefeld 47805, Germany. Electronic address: rudolf.leuwer@helios-kliniken.de.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leuwer
mesh_terms: D002356:Cartilage / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005205:Fascia / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D008022:Ligaments / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010156:Palatal Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology
keywords: Auxiliary gap; Eustachian tube cartilage; Medial pterygoid muscle; Ostmann fat pad; Rüdinger safety canal; Salpingopharyngeal muscle; Tensor veli palatini muscle; Tubal supensory ligaments