Musculotubal canal

The musculotubal canal is composed of two semi-canals; the upper canal is designated for the tensor tympani muscle (semicanalis m. tensoris tympani), and the lower for the auditory tube (semicanalis tubae auditivae). A bony septum, known as the septum canalis musculotubarii (processus cochleariformis), divides these semicanals within the musculotubal canal.

Originating at the skull's base, in front of the carotid canal's external opening, the musculotubal canal extends sideways into the anterior wall of the tympanic cavity, positioned above the internal carotid artery. The canal for the tensor tympani carries the fibers of the tensor tympani muscle, whereas the canal for the auditory tube comprises the bony portion of the auditory tube within the petrous part of the temporal bone. Within the middle ear, the tensor tympani muscle fibers connect to the malleus, one of the auditory ossicles. Meanwhile, the auditory tube creates a crucial link between the middle ear and the nasopharynx.