The study examines corrosion casts of intratemporal structures made from Wood's metal by Polish anatomist prof. Adam Bochenek (1875-1913). A total of four specimens belong to the historical collection housed in the Anatomical Museum of the Jagiellonian University, Medical College in Cracow, Poland. The metallic casts clearly demonstrate tiny neurovascular channels and other anatomical features within the petrous part of the temporal bone, offering valuable insights into their true-to-scale three-dimensional morphology. The following structures of the ear were identified: the bony labyrinth, the internal acoustic meatus (IAM), the facial canal (FC), the semicanal for the tensor tympani (STT), the semicanal for the auditory tube (SAT), the cochlear aqueduct (CA), the vestibular aqueduct (VA), the posterior ampullary nerve (PAN), the conduits for the cochlear and vestibular nerves, the caroticotympanic canaliculus (CCA), and the inferior tympanic canaliculus (ITC). Furthermore, the carotid canal (CC), the jugular fossa (JF) and the air cells of the temporal bone were also visible on the metallic casts. Our findings highlight the value of the corrosion cast techniques used in the past for advancing otological research and educational purposes. Remarkably, these casts closely resemble modern 3D-printed replicas derived from high-resolution tomography, highlighting the enduring value of early anatomical casting methods.
Skrzat et al. (Fri,) studied this question.