[The functional significance of the suspending ligaments of the ear ossicle chain].

The contraction of the tensor tympani muscle has not enough force to stabilise the drum membrane-malleus complex against a negative pressure in the external ear nor against a hyperpressure in the middle-ear, as in sneezing, Valsalva's manoeuvre, etc. The ossicular ligaments must therefore perform this task. It was shown in experiments with fresh temporal bone preparations that the superior malleolar ligament diminishes the pressure-induced displacements of the malleus. This proves that this often neglected ligament has true functional significance. The most important ligament, which retains the malleus against an outward displacement, however, is the sturdy connective tissue between the cochleariform process and the malleus' handle, enveloping the tendon of the tensor tympani muscle and crossing the middle-ear cleft together with the tendon. These connective tissue strands are much too strong for a simple sheath of tendon, as can be seen histologically. In consideration of the fact that the functional significance surpasses the function of a pure tendon sheath, this ligamentous structure can be called the malleo-cochleariform ligament.