The temporal bone is the principal contributor to the lower surface of the lateral wall and base of the cranium.
Description
The temporal bone is a paired bone found bilaterally in the lower surface of the cranium. It contains many irregular bony projections and houses the inner and middle ear.
It is a rather complex bone divided into 4 parts:
- Squamous part (temporal squama)
- Petrous part (petrous pyramid)
- Mastoid part
- Tympanic part
The division and arrangement of the parts of the temporal bone may vary between different authors. The petrous and mastoid portions are actually continuous (together they are known as the petromastoid part), but they are often divided into separate parts for convenience.