Figure 1.

FE model of human left ear including the external ear canal, the middle ear [TM three ossicles (malleus, incus, and stapes), two joints and manubrium, ligaments and muscle tendons, tympanic annulus, stapedial annular ligament, and middle ear cavity], and the uncoiled cochlea in anterior-medial view. The middle ear cavity and cochlear chambers were assumed transparent. Here, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, and C7 stand for the superior mallear ligament, lateral mallear ligament, posterior incus ligament, anterior mallear ligament, stapedial tendon, and tensor tympani tendon, respectively.