Temporal bone surgery demands advanced knowledge of surgical anatomy, and in this regard it is incomparable with any other form of surgery. Forming a two-dimensional mental picture is insufficient for this surgery; a three-dimensional, animated perception of the anatomical structures is required.

This chapter does not address the surgical anatomy of the temporal bone in detail, as the chapters on surgical techniques include a comprehensive discussion of this subject. For ease of instruction and uniform presentation, all the procedures depicted in this book have been carried out on the left temporal bone. However, the reader must also have a clear understanding of the right side, and should try to develop the ability to visualize a particular surgical site on either temporal bone, clearly and precisely.

• superior (cranial): anatomical “upper”
  
• inferior (caudal): anatomical “lower”
  
• anterior (ventral): anatomical “front”
  
• posterior (dorsal): anatomical “rear”
  
• lateral (superficial): anatomical “exterior”
  
• medial (deep): anatomical “interior”