Superior semicircular canal

Superior semicircular canal
Interior of right osseous labyrinth.
Posterior Canal Superior Canal Utricle Horizontal Canal Vestibule Cochlea Saccule
Latin	canalis semicircularis anterior, canalis semicircularis superior
Gray's	subject #232 1049
Artery	stylomastoid artery
MeSH	Semicircular+canals

The superior semicircular canal (anterior semicircular canal) is a part of the vestibular system and detects rotation of the head around a rostral-caudal (anterior-posterior) axis.

Structure

It is 15 to 20 mm in length, is vertical in direction, and is placed transversely to the long axis of the petrous portion of the temporal bone, on the anterior surface of which its arch forms a round projection. As part of the vestibular system it detects rotation of the head around a rostral-caudal (anterior-posterior) axis.

It describes about two-thirds of a circle.

Its lateral extremity is ampullated, and opens into the upper part of the vestibule; the opposite end joins with the upper part of the posterior canal to form the crus commune, which opens into the upper and medial part of the vestibule.

See also

• Semicircular canal

Additional images

Transverse section through head of fetal sheep, in the region of the labyrinth. X 30.

Position of the right bony labyrinth of the ear in the skull, viewed from above.

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.

This anatomy article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.