MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATIONS IN HUMAN FETAL EAR OSSICLES

Aim: To study the morphological variation, if any, of the ear ossicles in the human fetuses and use of the study in medical applications. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 100 sets of middle ear ossicles, each set consisting of Malleus, Incus and Stapes, which were taken from 50 fetal cadavers on either side. Observations: All the three ossicles showed variations in their morphology and more so in the stapes. Discussion: There are few studies in the literature on individual differences in these ossicles and these studies were on either adult or different species. Conclusion: the ear ossicles of the destitute human fetuses can be used as homografts to replace eroded adult middle ear ossicles.

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