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Stapedial annular ligament (SAL) provides a sealed but mobile boundary between the stapes footplate and oval window bony wall. Mechanical properties of the SAL affect the transmission of ossicular movement into the cochlea in sound conduction. However, the mechanical properties of this tissue have never been investigated due to its complexity. In this paper, we report measurement of the viscoelastic properties of SAL on human cadaver temporal bones using a micro-material testing system with digital image correlation analysis. The measured load-deformation relations of SAL samples were converted into shear stress-shear strain relationship, stress relaxation function, and ultimate shear stress and shear strain of the SAL. The hyperelatic Ogden model was used to describe constitutive behavior of the SAL and a 3D finite element model of the experimental setup with SAL was created for assessing the effects of loading variation and measurement errors on results. The study demonstrates that the human SAL is a typical viscoelastic material with hysteresis, nonlinear stress-strain relationship and stress relaxation function. The shear modulus changes from 3.6 to 220 kPa when the shear stress increases from 2 to 140 kPa. These results provide useful information on quasi-static behavior of the SAL.

A three-dimensional finite element ͑FE͒ model of human ear with structures of the external ear canal, middle ear, and cochlea has been developed recently. In this paper, the FE model was used to predict the effect of tympanic membrane ͑TM͒ perforations on sound transmission through the middle ear. Two perforations were made in the posterior-inferior quadrant and inferior site of the TM in the model with areas of 1.33 and 0.82 mm 2 , respectively. These perforations were also created in human temporal bones with the same size and location. The vibrations of the TM ͑umbo͒ and stapes footplate were calculated from the model and measured from the temporal bones using laser Doppler vibrometers. The sound pressure in the middle ear cavity was derived from the model and measured from the bones. The results demonstrate that the TM perforations can be simulated in the FE model with geometrical visualization. The FE model provides reasonable predictions on effects of perforation size and location on middle ear transfer function. The middle ear structure-function relationship can be revealed with multi-field coupled FE analysis.

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