Temporal bone

The temporal bone is the most complex bone in the human body. It houses many vital structures, including the cochlear and vestibular end organs, the facial nerve, the carotid artery, and the jugular vein.

The temporal bone is a very thick and hard structure located in the base of the skull. The base of the skull has multiple foramina, as seen in the images below, creating areas of decreased resistance susceptible to traumatic injury.

Therefore, fractures that involve the temporal bone continue along the skull base with a pattern that follows the weakest points of the anatomy.

The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull. Each consists of five parts, viz., the squama, the petrous, mastoid, and tympanic parts, and the styloid process.

Temporal bone fracture is a frequent manifestation of head trauma. Most cases of temporal bone fracture involve severe body and/or head trauma.

In the adult population, approximately 90% of temporal bone fractures are associated with concurrent intracranial injuries and 9 % with cervical spine injuries.
Therefore, management of the temporal bone trauma may not be the first priority.