Semicircular canals
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Basim D, Hacking C, Rasuli B, et al. Semicircular canals. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 02 Dec 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-42094
Permalink:
rID:
42094
Article created:
6 Jan 2016,
Dr Ali Basim
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Dr Ali Basim had no recorded disclosures.
View Dr Ali Basim's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had the following disclosures:
- Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Revisions:
16 times, by
10 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Semicircular canal
- Semicircular canal (SCC)
The three semicircular canals (SCCs) are components of the bony labyrinth within the petrous temporal bone, along with the cochlea and vestibule. They contain the semicircular ducts, part of the membranous labyrinth which are responsible for kinetic balance.
Gross anatomy
There are three semicircular canals on each side, the superior, posterior and lateral canals, each forming two-thirds of a full circle, which are oriented perpendicular (at right angles) to each other.
The lateral semicircular canal opens directly into the vestibule, whilst the superior and posterior semicircular canals form a common crus before entering the vestibule. They have differing and variable lengths but uniform diameters of ~1 mm.
Superior (anterior) semicircular canal (SSCC)
- oriented in the vertical plane perpendicular (transverse) to the long axis of the petrous temporal bone
- it lies under the arcuate eminence on the anterior surface of the petrous temporal bone
- hair cells of the superior semicircular duct supplied by the superior division of the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
Posterior semicircular canal (PSCC)
- oriented in the vertical plane parallel to the long axis of the petrous temporal bone
- hair cells of the posterior semicircular duct supplied by the inferior division of CN VIII
Lateral (horizontal) semicircular canal (LSCC)
- oriented 30° to the horizontal
- shortest of the semicircular canals
- hair cells of the lateral semicircular duct supplied by the superior division of CN VIII
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Related pathology
Quiz questions
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References
- 1. Last's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. (2011) ISBN:0702033952. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Joshi VM, Navlekar SK, Kishore GR et-al. CT and MR imaging of the inner ear and brain in children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss. Radiographics. 2012;32 (3): 683-98. doi:10.1148/rg.323115073 - Pubmed citation
- 3. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. ISBN: 9780702052309
- 4. Butler P, Mitchell A, Healy JC. Applied Radiological Anatomy. Cambridge University Press. (2012) ISBN:0521766664. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Mondini malformation
- Cochlear aplasia
- Semicircular duct
- Branchio-oto-renal dysplasia
- Jugular bulb
- Posterior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome
- Vestibule (ear)
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (S)
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (L)
- Pneumolabyrinth
- Cochlear hypoplasia
- Retrotympanum
- Superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome
- Michel aplasia
- Otospongiosis
- Petrous part of temporal bone
- Middle ear
- Internal acoustic canal
- Vestibular neuritis
Cases:
- Cochlear incomplete partition - type II
- External auditory canal cholesteatoma
- Perilymphatic fistula
- Automastoidectomy with labyrinthine fistula
- Normal mastoid series with cochlear implant
- Lateral semicircular canal and vestibular dysplasia in adult
- Inner ear anatomy (annotated CT)
- Labyrinthitis ossificans
- Narrow duplicated internal acoustic canal
- Labyrinthitis ossificans
Multiple choice questions:
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