Inner ear morphology: advances in assessment.

The study of inner ear morphology has been substantially augmented by the development of the surface preparation technique and the scanning electron microscope. The former represents an old technique revitalized, while the latter is a new method providing dramatic stereoscopic images at the cellular level. More precise knowledge of inner ear sensory cells and their innervation is now being obtained and hence better understanding of function continues to evolve. The early fixation of human postmortem material circumvents many artefacts; however, there are legal and ethical questions to be settled before this is done routinely. The photomicrographs are from specimens prepared by the author.