Connective Tissue of External & Middle Ear

Description

The external ear is made up of the auricle and the external acoustic meatus. The auricle is composed of a single plate of elastic fibrocartilage, covered by thin skin, with exceptions at the lobule and the area between the tragus and the crus of the helix.

The auricular cartilage is primarily composed of the helix, the elevated outer margin of the ear, and the concha, the hollow next to the ear canal. Other cartilaginous features are the tragus, found anterior to the opening of the external acoustic meatus, the antitragus, located opposite the tragus, and the antihelix, a smaller rim parallel to the helix.

In the middle ear, the ossicles (incus, malleus, and stapes) are connected to the tympanic walls by numerous ligaments. These ligaments either act as attachments to the tympanic walls with central bands of strong collagen fibers, or as conduits for blood vessels and nerves.