Corpus: Malleus

The malleus is a small bone of the middle ear that connects the eardrum to the incus and is therefore part of the sound-conducting apparatus. It belongs to the three auditory ossicles (auditory ossicles).

The dimensions of the malleus vary greatly between individuals. The length varies between 7.5 and 9 mm, of which the malleus handle accounts for around 4 to 6 mm. The weight of the bone is approximately 25 mg. Different sections can be distinguished anatomically:

• Caput mallei (head)
• Collum mallei (neck)
• Manubrium mallei ("handle")
• Processus mallei lateralis (lateral malleus process)
• Processus mallei anterior (anterior malleus process)

The malleus is fused to the eardrum. It is connected to the incus (anvil) via the articulatio incudomallearis. The tendon of the tensor tympani muscle attaches to the transition from the manubrium to the collum. The malleus is attached to the walls of the tympanic cavity by various small ligaments. These include:

• Ligamentum mallei superius
• Ligamentum mallei anterius
• Ligamentum mallei laterale

The malleus develops from the dorsal section of Meckel's cartilage.

During otoscopy, the impression of the malleus can be seen in the tympanic membrane in the area of the umbo membranae tympani.