Sheep as a Large-Animal Model for Otology Research: Temporal Bone Extraction and Transmastoid Facial Recess Surgical Approach.

Purpose: Sheep are used as a large-animal model for otology research and can be used to study implantable hearing devices. However, a method for temporal bone extraction in sheep, which enables various experiments, has not been described, and literature on middle ear access is limited. We describe a method for temporal bone extraction and an extended facial recess surgical approach to the middle ear in sheep.

Methods: Ten temporal bones from five Hampshire sheep head cadavers were extracted using an oscillating saw. After craniotomy and removal of the brain, a coronal cut was made at the posterior aspect of the orbit followed by a midsagittal cut of the occipital bone and disarticulation of the atlanto-occipital joint. Temporal bones were surgically prepared with an extended facial recess approach. Micro-CT scans of each temporal bone were obtained, and anatomic dimensions were measured.

Results: Temporal bone extraction was successful in 10/10 temporal bones. Extended facial recess approach exposed the malleus, incus, stapes, and round window while preserving the facial nerve, with the following surgical considerations: minimally pneumatized mastoid; tegmen (superior limit of mastoid cavity) is low-lying and sits below temporal artery; chorda tympani sacrificed to optimize middle ear exposure; incus buttress does not obscure view of middle ear. Distance between the superior aspect of external auditory canal and tegmen was 2.7 (SD 0.9) mm.

Conclusion: We identified anatomic landmarks for temporal bone extraction and describe an extended facial recess approach in sheep that exposes the ossicles and round window. This approach is feasible for studying implantable hearing devices.