Anatomical relationship between the position of the sigmoid sinus, tympanic membrane and digastric ridge with the mastoid segment of the facial nerve.

Our study was carried out to examine the relationships of the sigmoid sinus, tympanic membrane and digastric ridge with the mastoid segment of the facial nerve. We studied 33 adult temporal bones. The distances among these structures were evaluated according specific landmarks that can be repeated in a simple manner. We found a good relation, in a proportional and lineal order, between these three structures and the facial nerve. This study indicated a correlation between the position of these three structures and the mastoid segment of the facial nerve through a simple morphometric method.