Hüttenbrink K B
Laryngol Rhinol Otol (Stuttg). 1987 Apr;66(4):180-5.
The surfaces of immobilised incus and malleus joints were studied with the scanning electron microscope. The hyaline cartilage showed arthritic changes similar to osteoarthritic big joints of the body. A direct radiologic magnification technique could likewise demonstrate typical arthritic signs. Comparing findings from histologic studies in the literature, we could demonstrate that the intact hyaline cartilage degenerates if the ossicles are immobilised. The minimal static friction of the intact smooth joint surface is a prerequisite for its assumed role namely protection of the inner ear against hazardous pressure changes. A hypothesis is developed to the effect that the movement of the ossicles, necessary for lubrification and nutrition of the hyaline cartilage, is maintained by the two middle-ear muscles. Their function, which had not been explained so far could thus be interpreted--besides a possible effect on sound transmission--as preserving the intact joint surfaces of the ossicles. Nature seems to set great store by the importance of the middle ear joints, as shown by the development of a new joint structure in an implanted homoio-incus.
用扫描电子显微镜研究了固定化砧骨和锤骨关节的表面。透明软骨显示出与身体骨关节炎大关节相似的关节炎变化。直接放射放大技术同样可以显示典型的关节炎体征。与文献中的组织学研究结果相比较，我们可以证明，如果听小骨固定，完整的透明软骨会退化。完整光滑关节表面的最小静摩擦力是其假定作用的前提条件，即保护内耳免受有害压力变化的影响。由此提出一个假说，即听小骨的运动对于透明软骨的润滑和营养是必要的，而这种运动由两块中耳肌肉维持。它们的功能，到目前为止尚未得到解释，因此除了对声音传播可能产生的影响外，还可以解释为保持听小骨完整的关节表面。大自然似乎非常重视中耳关节的重要性，植入的同种异体砧骨中出现的新关节结构就表明了这一点。
