The recent development of the scanning electron microscope has added great impetus to the study of ultrastructural details of normal human ossicles. A thorough description of the ultrastructure of the human ossicles is required in order to determine changes associated with disease processes following medical or surgical treatment.Human stapes crura were obtained at the time of surgery for clinical otosclerosis and from human cadaver material. The specimens to be examined by the scanning electron microscope were fixed immediately in the operating room in a cold phosphate buffered 2% gluteraldehyde solution, washed with Ringers, post fixed in cold 1% osmic acid and dehydrated in graded alcohol. Specimens were transferred from alcohol to a series of increasing concentrations of ethyl alcohol and amyl acetate. The tissue was then critical point dried, secured to aluminum stubs and coated with gold, approximately 150A thick on a rotating stage in a vacuum evaporator. The specimens were then studied with the Kent-Cambridge S4-10 Scanning Electron Microscope at an accelerating voltage of 20KV.
